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How Glass Is Made
How Glass Is Made
Glass is a solid but brittle material that is formed by melting and cooling raw materials.glass raw materials It can be shaped to create windows, containers and other items that are used in a wide range of applications. The unique properties of different types of glass are determined by their composition, manufacturing process and annealing protocols. In spite of its inherent brittleness, glass is a highly durable material that can withstand considerable pressure and impact without breaking.
The main components of glass are sand, soda and limestone.glass raw materials These are melted in large furnaces at temperatures of up to 3000 degrees Celsius. Various other raw materials are added to influence the colour, clarity and other performance characteristics of glass. Glass manufacturers use both batch and continuous processes depending on the size of furnaces, the required quality of glass and raw materials available.
In the batch process, the various raw materials are weighed and mixed before being fed into the melting furnaces.glass raw materials This allows the manufacturers to control the exact ingredients in each batch and ensure that they produce a specific type of glass. This also means that the manufacturer can make changes in batch recipes quickly and easily.
Once the silica sand and soda ash have been melted, they are combined with other additives such as iron oxide to give the glass its colour.glass raw materials The resulting mixture is then fed into a large bath of molten tin. The tin has a higher density than the glass, so it spreads out and flattens into a sheet as it cools. This is called the float glass process.
The float glass is then subjected to rigorous quality inspections before it is cut into sheets.glass raw materials These can be up to 6000mm x 3660mm and are then automatically stacked, stored and ready for transport. The float glass will also be annealed in a long furnace with a temperature gradient, which will strengthen the glass and reduce any internal stresses.
All glass is 100% inspected before it leaves the factory. This is done by automatic machines and, in some cases, by human beings. These inspections include checking for any tiny cracks, referred to as check marks, which can be caused by the rapid change in temperature that occurs during the moulding process. It is also important to check for foreign inclusions, which are pieces of refractory brick that break off during the melting process and fall into the molten glass. Finally, it is important to inspect the float glass for any bubbles, which can be caused by gasses trapped during the cooling process.
Once a batch of glass has been cooled, it is moved into an annealing lehr oven, which is a lengthy furnace that uses a temperature gradient to slowly cool the floating glass. This gives the glass a longer lifespan and makes it less likely to break. After being cooled, the glass is checked for any imperfections and then labelled for sale. The glass is then shipped to a customer for processing into a finished product.
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