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Windows, vases, automobile windshields, computer screens and picture frames - in every single place you look it is  a guarantee that something in your line of vision will be made of glass. However, the only time they appear to notice it is if the windows require cleaning or they drop a wine glass and must tidy up the shards. Take a minute to think about what life would be like without this material and then learn a tiny bit more about where it comes from and how its made.

When Was Float Glass Mirror First Made?

It is impossible to pinpoint exactly when the first piece of glass was manufactured, but archaeological proof suggests that it was as far back as the second millennium BC. The belief is that it was the Mesopotamians who first discovered the art of glass making & the substance was thought about to be amazingly precious, even comparable to gold. When this art reached the Egyptians, a method called core-forming was developed. A core made of clay & dung was moulded in to a specific shape & the molten glass was wrapped around it & then formed by being rolled on a flat surface.

It was only by the first century BC that a used process of glass making was developed and would alter the face of glass production for ever more. Originating somewhere on the eastern Mediterranean, possibly Syria, a hollow tube was blown through allowing intricate shapes to be created out of the molten glass gathered at the finish. This process soon became the favoured amongst the Romans and its ease made glass products much more obtainable to the common people. After the Roman Empire fell, the art of glass making lost its momentum in Europe until the popularity of stained glass arose in the 12th century. It was from the 17th century onwards that glass making progressed the most steadily and the use of furnaces finally progressed to the float glass process that they still use today.

What is Glass Made From?

At its most basic level, glass is a brittle, transparent solid substance, while more technically, it is an inorganic product of a fusion method which cools to rigidity without crystallising. The materials used in making glass vary depending on the desired function of the final result, for example thicker glass or coloured glass requires slightly different materials to be used in the preliminary method. Most glass products are however made up of a core set of basic materials, namely being sand, soda ash (sodium carbonate), dolomite, limestone & salt cake (sodium sulfate). The basic objective of any glass maker is to get the maximum amount of quality glass from the ingredients at the lowest cost feasible.

Different Glass Making Methods Used Today

*Float Glass - This is the aluminium glass mirror making technique that is still used today & was pioneered by the British Pilkington brothers in the 1950s. This technique is the most cost-effective way to make large sheets of glass for windows & doors. It involves floating the molten glass on a bed of molten tin & as the glass is left to float unhindered, it is fundamentally flattened by gravity & its own weight, leaving the surface smooth & polished.

*Plate Glass - This was the main method for making sizable sheets of glass to be used in windows, doors and windshields before the float glass method was developed. A complicated twin grinding and polishing method is involved that is dear as well as extravagant. The long polishing method needed to give the glass its sheen is time consuming and creates excess glass shards that cannot be reused.

*Recycled Glass - Making recycled glass is a great energy saver as its makes use of 40% less energy than the method needed to make new glass. This is because the crushed glass used in the method melts at a much lower temperature than the ordinary raw materials usually used to make glass. Another benefit of recycled glass is that the materials can be used over and over again - the glass does not ever wear out.

*Container Glass - This is the type of glass used to make bottles and jars and is usually made up of soda-lime raw materials. Created through blowing and pressing techniques, this is a moderately neat and natural glass making method, meaning that this type of glass is basically recyclable. This method involves steps, the batch house, hot finish and cold finish. In the batch house step the raw materials are prepared and mixed, while the hot finish involves the melting of the materials and their modification in to the desired shape as well as the cooling procedures. The cold finish involves inspecting the container glass for any defects, packaging them and labelling them for shipping.

*Fibreglass - This is the other main type of glass besides sheet glass & container glass & is used chiefly for thermal insulation & optical communication. This glass is made from exceptionally fine fibres of glass & is often used as a reinforcing agent. The process to make fibreglass is complicated & usually starts with the raw materials in solid form that are then melted & sheared in to fibres. The fibres are then wound in to a bobbin & turned in to the desired fibreglass shape.

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