How is glass made?

Glass is the most ancient object, which was found by man and is still used. Found because the man did not invent it himself and did it for the first time. Most likely, the first glass appeared many thousands of years ago from volcanic lava. Now this substance is called obsidian. How is glass made? Let's go back to those times when it was not yet. Gradually, people learned the surrounding nature and noticed that when a natural soda mix with sand and subsequent heating a transparent substance appears. That's how they became aware of this new kind of material. This process was described by Pliny, an ancient Greek encyclopaedist. It was from that moment on that the history of the use of glass, which in our life today has become absolutely indispensable, began. Because now it is used everywhere.

However, there is another theory as to how glass is made, or rather, how it was produced earlier. Some scientists decided that the vitreous material was identified as a by-product in copper smelting or firing of clay products. In human life, this product has played a truly outstanding role. It is difficult to overestimate its significance. The production of flat glass is comparable to such discoveries as fire mining and wheel invention. In the times of Ancient Egypt, it was customary to make all kinds of ornaments. Later, he learned how to make containers for liquids. Since the thirteenth century, there has been a sharp increase in the number of manufactured glass. Venice became the center of its production. Masters became aware of the technology of creating eastern glass, after which they began to develop and improve it. The transparency of the glass was made possible by the addition of various impurities in it. Masters began to make from it different dishes, which was very thin and elegant. In those days, glass products were more used as luxury goods and ornaments.

If the question of how glass is made is still of interest to you, then you can tell how it has found new applications. The technology of its production was improved. A mirror was invented, this was done by applying an amalgam on one side. During the construction, glass was also used. Usually it was used to build palaces and temples. And after the masters learned to make it colored, they began to decorate their windows, making beautiful stained-glass windows. Now glass for fusing is widely used. And in the course of time, glass was used in science. Thanks to the discovery of his ability to concentrate and diffuse light, a variety of lenses were created, telescopes and microscopes were made. These discoveries have become a giant step in the development of natural sciences - medicine, biology, astronomy, physics and others. No activity is possible in any scientific direction without glasses.

How is glass made? As it was once, from the sand. At its core, the sand contains silicon dioxide, represented here as quartz crystals. When heated, it melts. If you quickly cool it, the minerals do not have time to crystallize, becoming transparent. To impart a color to the product, oxides of different metals are added to it. To make glass as transparent as possible, the sand is cleaned so that it contains almost one quartz.

At the moment there are many ways to produce a product with different properties: reinforced, tempered, mirrored, armored. As a basis and now serves as simple sand, which is processed. It is important to say that there is enough sand on the planet so the glass will not soon come out of our everyday life.