We explain what glass is and what its main characteristics are. In addition, we explain its various uses and properties.
What is glass?
Glass is an inorganic solid material that is both hard and brittle, with no defined shape. It is formed by melting various mineral substances at high temperatures, such as carbonates or salts and varieties of sand, which are then quickly cooled in a mold or manipulated with tools to give it shape.
This means that glass can be made from ordinary sand (which is mostly composed of silicon dioxide) in a liquid state. This state could not be produced on a sandy beach because it needs to be exposed to extremely high temperatures to melt, starting at 1700º C.
After being melted and cooled, the sand undergoes a transformation in its structure so that it does not return to the previous state of a yellow clayey substance, but rather becomes a solid, crystalline material with no specific shape.
The first traces of glass date back to 2000 BC. C. in EgyptThe material was not glass per se, nor was it transparent, but it imitated precious stones. It was found in various jewelry and ornate ceramics.
Glass has been used since ancient times and remains an important element today, used for a variety of purposes, such as household items, decoration, infrastructure, telecommunications, electronic devices, equipment for health studies, work machinery, among many others. In addition to its multiple uses, it has the advantage that it can be recycled repeatedly.
See also: Electricity
Characteristics of glass
Glass is characterized by being:
- A hard material, even when very thin.
- A brittle material if lightly hit.
- A malleable material through different methods that allow achieving a different finish, such as tempered glass, annealed, thermo-acoustic, armored, laminated, among others.
- A material produced by casting and cooling that can soften again when exposed to temperatures greater than 800º C.
- A material that can be recycled repeatedly.
It may help you: Microscope
Uses of glass
In ancient times, glass It was used to replace precious stones for jewelry.in ceramics and architectural ornamentation.
After perfecting the material casting process, a transparent and better quality glass was obtained, which was given various formats. From then on, it was mainly used in windows of temples and churches. Then it became popular and the types of use expanded.
Nowadays, glass is used in most areas, such as decoration, accessories, construction, everyday utensils, health, technology, automotive, among others.
Properties of glass
Among the main properties of glass are:
- Optical qualities. They consist of the transmission of the visible spectrum of light, which depends on the composition and purity of the glass. Those with the highest light transmission capacity are those free of iron compounds.
- Composition. It consists of the diversity of mineral components, such as sodium carbonate, limestone, silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, which can be used and combined to melt them and create different types and qualities of glass.
- Color. It consists of certain components that are added at the time of fusion to obtain a different finish in the tinting of the glass. For example, a bluish-red color can be achieved by adding cobalt oxide, a yellow color can be achieved by adding ferric oxide, and a bluish color can be achieved by adding ferrous oxide.
- Texture. It consists of the surface of the glass that can be perceived by sight or touch and the variants can be obtained depending on the melting process and certain components.
- Malleability. It consists of the molding methods that are carried out in the casting stage prior to cooling, depending on the use that the glass will have, such as a window or a bottle. The methods can be: pressing, blowing, spiraling and laminating, among others.
- Thermal qualities. They consist of the ability to conduct temperature, both heat and cold. Once hardened, glass does not have a defined softening point, but it ranges between 600º C and 700º C.
- Density. It is the amount of mass contained in the glass and depends on the type of materials combined in the melting process. In general, the density of glass is around 2500 kg/m3.
- Corrosion. It consists of the glass’s ability to tolerate wear and tear, which depends on its chemical composition. There are four main substances against which glass can break: hydrochloric acid, high-concentration phosphoric acid, high-temperature alkaline concentrations, and high-temperature water.