Glass in all its different varieties
Glass is all around us, whether in the windows of our homes and cars and also in the items that we use to drink our wine and juice from. It is created in standard panes, those that are toughened that are often used in items that you wouldn’t want to shatter and also in a laminated form that is often used in the construction of a Glass balustrade as it does not shatter. As a quick aside, If you are looking for a Glass balustrade click here
All glass essentially comes from grains of sand that is mixed with limestone and a soda ash. But did you know that there are a number of different types of glass that are used in different ways?
Soda-lime Silica Glass
This type of glass is most often used in jars and bottles and other food and toiletry containers. It is thought that it is the most commonly used glass in production at over 90% of the total amount of glass that is created each year. Due to its common nature it is also one of the cheapest forms of glass. This is also due to the fact that the materials used to make it are also common and relatively easy to source. Although it is the most common form of glass it is also not as strong as other types and can be susceptible to breakages.
This glass type is the best for adding colour to but it does not withstand chemicals very well making it susceptible to corrosion. It is most often used in medical and military sectors in a variety of different ways including medical equipment such as x rays and lens.
Borosilicate Glass
This is strong and extremely durable from glass that is unaffected by extreme changes in temperature, which makes it perfect for using in cooking equipment such as pyrex cookware and in use of lab equipment such as jars and petri dishes. This allows the glass items to be heated up to high temperatures without the risk of it cracking. As well as heat it can also cope with abrasive items being placed against it. Which again makes it perfect for medical applications and for use in cooking and catering as it allows for the items to be cleaned using a variety of products that in other cases might scratch the glass and affect the integrity of the product.
