Types of Glass

The glass may be mainly classified as:

1.  Soda-lime glass      
2.  Potash lime glass
3.  Potash lead glass   
4.  Common glass and
5.  Special glasses.

1. Soda Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of calcium silicate and sodium silicate. At low temperature it is fusible. It can be blown or welded easily in the fusion condition. It is colourless. It is utilized as window panes and for the laboratory tubes and apparatus.

2. Potash Lime Glass: It is mainly a mixture of calcium silicate and potassium silicate. It is also called as hard glass. At high temperature it fuses. It is utilized in the manufacture of glass articles which have to with stand high temperatures.

3. Potash Lead Glass: It is mainly a mixture of lead silicate and potassium silicate. It possesses bright lustre and huge refractive power. It is utilized in the manufacture of artificial gems, electric bulbs, lenses, prisms etc.

4. Common Glass: It is mainly a mixture of calcium silicate, sodium silicate and iron silicate. It can found in different colour like brown, green or yellow. Mainly it is used in the manufacture of medicine bottles.

5. Special Glasses: Properties of glasses may be suitably altered by changing basic ingredients and adding few more ingredients. Now it has emerged as versatile material to meet various special requirements in engineering. The following is the list of some of the special glasses:

(1) Foam glass        

(2) Fibre glass

(3) Structural glass

(4) Bullet proof glass

(5) Wired glass       

(6) Glass black

(7) Perforated glass.         

(8) Ultraviolet ray glass