THE COMPOSITION OF THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GLASS
The composition of glasses may be simple, compound, or complex,
according to the number of bases or acids which may be present in the
mixture.
=The Simple types of glass= are exhibited in the soda silicate, potash
silicate, and lead silicate. The two former silicates are of most
industrial value.
=Soda Silicate= is made from a fusion of 100 parts of sand with 50 parts
of soda carbonate and 5 parts of charcoal. The charcoal is added to
facilitate the decomposition. The fused mass when cool is transparent
and of a pale, bluish, sea-green colour. Upon boiling it in water it
dissolves and gives a thick viscid solution called “Water Glass.” This
is extensively used in the various arts and manufactures. Textile fabric
and woodwork saturated with this solution and dried are rendered
fireproof. In the manufacture of artificial stone it forms, with lime
and other basic oxides, very stable cements. Mixed with silicious or
ganister it forms the well-known fire cements for repairing the cracks
in retorts, muffles, etc. Water glass is also used in soap, and colour
making, and for preserving eggs.
=Potash Silicate= is less used, being more expensive. It is produced
from a fusion of 100 parts sand, 60 parts potash carbonate, and 6 parts
charcoal.
=Lead Silicate= is composed of 100 parts sand and 66 parts of red lead
fused together. This silicate is mostly used in the manufacture of soft
enamels and artificial gems, and goes under the names of “Rocaili flux,”
“strass metal,” and “diamond paste.”
There is another form of soluble glass which is a combination of the
soda and potash silicates. This is really a double silicate and may be
produced by fusing sand 100 parts, soda carbonate 25 parts, potash
carbonate 30 parts, and 6 parts of charcoal. This silicate is used in
soap making. Soluble glass can also be formed by using sulphate of soda
as the alkali. In this case, a larger proportion of the alkaline salt
has to be used, also a larger amount of carbon, in order to complete the
decomposition of the sulphate. A mixture of sand 100 parts, saltcake 70
parts, and carbon 16 parts would produce sodium silicate. The boron
silicate and borate of alumina are two other forms of soluble glass used
in their simple states.
=The Compound Glasses= may be flint or crystal glass, soda-lime glass,
Bohemian glass, pressed glass, and sheet glass. These are the general
type of glasses used in the manufacture of domestic glasswares.
=Crystal Glass=, which is a silicate of lead and potash, is made from
best sand 100 parts, red lead 66 parts, potash carbonate 33 parts,
cullet 50 parts, to which a small proportion of potash nitre, arsenic,
and manganese dioxide is added. The bulk of English cut-glass table ware
and fancy goods are made from this type of glass. It gives very
brilliant and colourless results, more especially when cut and polished.
A second-rate quality of crystal glass for table ware may consist of a
silicate of lead and soda, as follows: sand 100 parts, red lead 66
parts, soda carbonate 25 parts, cullet 50 parts; with small proportions
of Chili nitre, arsenic, and manganese.
=Bohemian Glass= is made from sand 100 parts, potash carbonate 35 parts,
lime carbonate 15 parts, cullet 50 parts; with small proportions of
potash nitre, arsenic, and manganese dioxide. This type of glass is used
mostly by continental manufacturers for chemical ware, table and mirror
glass. It is a hard, brilliant, and stable glass, very suitable for
enamelled glassware. It is a silicate of potash and lime.
=Pressed Glass= consists of sand 100 parts, soda carbonate 50 parts,
barium carbonate 15 parts, cullet 50 parts; together with soda nitre,
arsenic, manganese, and cobalt. This is used by manufacturers of pressed
glass table ware or moulded ware. It is a silicate of soda and barium,
the barium having a direct influence in giving a good surface to the
pressed goods.
=Crown Glass= consists of a silicate of soda and lime; sand 100 parts,
soda carbonate 36 parts, lime carbonate 24 parts, soda sulphate 12
parts, cullet 50 parts; with traces of manganese and cobalt. This glass
is used for making sheet window glass by the crown, disc, and cylinder
methods.
=Plate Glass= is a silicate of soda and lime; sand 100 parts, soda
sulphate 55 parts, limestone 30 parts, coal or anthracite 5 parts; with
traces of nickel oxide, cobalt, or antimony oxide. This is used for cast
plate glass, rolled plate, cathedral glass, window and mirror glass.
=The Complex Glasses= may be described as those in which more than three
bases are introduced, and constitute such types of glasswares as
bottles, thermometer tubes, chemical ware, etc.
=Common Bottle Glass= may be described as an example of complex
formulae. Common bottle glass, or tank metal, is made from a silicate of
soda, alumina, lime, magnesia, and iron, as follows: Common sand,
containing iron and alumina, 100 parts; greenstone or basalt (a silicate
of alumina, iron, lime, magnesia, and potash), 25 parts; dolomite
limestone (magnesia and lime), 30 parts; sulphate of soda, 35 parts;
carbon, 5 parts. Felspathic granites may be also used in such glasses.
Bottle glasses require intense heat to melt, and are usually dark in
colour when made from igneous rocks, owing to the large amount of
colorific oxides present in such materials. These dark colours are not
objected to in bottles for stout, wine, and beer.
It will be noticed these formulae cover a long range, from the best
table glass to the commonest dark bottle glass. Besides these, opal,
opalescent, and fancy glasses are made, in which either arsenic, tin,
alumina, antimony, zinc or barium oxides or borates phosphates and
fluorides may enter into the compositions.
Glass makers’ recipes vary considerably in the proportions of the
various materials used, according to the locality and the type of
furnace used. Generally, it will be found that, where a gas-fired
furnace is in use, a larger proportion of sand can be used and a cheaper
metal produced.
The metals produced in covered pots are usually softer and contain more
lead and fluxes than those produced in open pots. In using open pots the
heat of the furnace has direct access to the surface of the metal
therein. In the case of covered pots, the heat has to be conducted
through the cover of the pot, which retards the heat to a certain
extent. On this account, softer mixtures are used in covered pots.
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