The composition of glasses may be simple, compound, or complex, according to the number of bases or acids which may be present in the mixture.

The Simple Types Of Glass

The Simple types of glass are exhibited in the soda silicate, potash silicate, and lead silicate. The two former silicates are of most industrial value.

Soda Silicate

Soda Silicate is made from a fusion of 100 parts of sand with 50 parts of soda carbonate and 5 parts of charcoal. The charcoal is added to facilitate the decomposition. The fused mass when cool is transparent and of a pale, bluish, sea-green colour. Upon boiling it in water it dissolves and gives a thick viscid solution called " Water Glass." This is extensively used in the various arts and manufactures. Textile fabric and woodwork saturated with this solution and dried are rendered fireproof. In the manufacture of artificial stone it forms, with lime and other basic oxides, very stable cements. Mixed with silicious fire-clay or ganister it forms the well-known fire cements for repairing the cracks in fire-clay retorts, muffles, etc. Water glass is also used in soap, and colour making, and for preserving eggs.

Potash Silicate

Potash Silicate is less used, being more expensive. It is produced from a fusion of 100 parts sand, 60 parts potash carbonate, and 6 parts charcoal.

Lead Silicate

Lead Silicate is composed of 100 parts sand and 66 parts of red lead fused together. This silicate is mostly used in the manufacture of soft enamels and artificial gems, and goes under the names of " Rocaili flux," " strass metal," and " diamond paste."

There is another form of soluble glass which is a combination of the soda and potash silicates. This is really a double silicate and may be produced by fusing sand 100 parts, soda carbonate 25 parts, potash carbonate 30 parts, and 6 parts of charcoal. This silicate is used in soap making. Soluble glass can also be formed by using sulphate of soda as the alkali. In this case, a larger proportion of the alkaline salt has to be used, also a larger amount of carbon, in order to complete the decomposition of the sulphate. A mixture of sand 100 parts, saltcake 70 parts, and carbon 16 parts would produce sodium silicate. The boron silicate and borate of alumina are two other forms of soluble glass used in their simple states.

The Compound Glasses

The Compound Glasses may be flint or crystal glass, soda-lime glass, Bohemian glass, pressed glass, and sheet glass. These are the general type of glasses used in the manufacture of domestic glasswares.

Crystal Glass

Crystal Glass, which is a silicate of lead and potash, is made from best sand 100 parts, red lead 66 parts, potash carbonate 33 parts, cullet 50 parts, to which a small proportion of potash nitre, arsenic, and manganese dioxide is added. The bulk of English cut-glass table ware and fancy goods are made from this type of glass. It gives very brilliant and colourless results, more especially when cut and polished. A second-rate quality of crystal glass for table ware may consist of a silicate of lead and soda, as follows: sand 100 parts, red lead 66 parts, soda carbonate 25 parts, cullet 50 parts; with small proportions of Chili nitre, arsenic, and manganese.

Bohemian Glass

Bohemian Glass is made from sand 100 parts, potash carbonate 35 parts, lime carbonate 15 parts, cullet 50 parts; with small proportions of potash nitre, arsenic, and manganese dioxide. This type of glass is used mostly by continental manufacturers for chemical ware, table and mirror glass. It is a hard, brilliant, and stable glass, very suitable for enamelled glassware. It is a silicate of potash and lime.

Pressed Glass

Pressed Glass consists of sand 100 parts, soda carbonate 50 parts, barium carbonate 15 parts, cullet 50 parts; together with soda nitre, arsenic, manganese, and cobalt. This is used by manufacturers of pressed glass table ware or moulded ware. It is a silicate of soda and barytes, the barytes having a direct influence in giving a good surface to the pressed goods.

Crown Glass

Crown Glass consists of a silicate of soda and lime; sand 100 parts, soda carbonate 36 parts, lime carbonate 24 parts, soda sulphate 12 parts, cullet 50 parts; with traces of manganese and cobalt. This glass is used for making sheet window glass by the crown, disc, and cylinder methods.

Plate Glass

Plate Glass is a silicate of soda and lime; sand 100 parts, soda sulphate 55 parts, limestone 30 parts, coal or anthracite 5 parts; with traces of nickel oxide, cobalt, or antimony oxide. This is used for cast plate glass, rolled plate, cathedral glass, window and mirror glass.

The Complex Glasses

The Complex Glasses may be described as those in which more than three bases are introduced, and constitute such types of glasswares as bottles, thermometer tubes, chemical ware, etc.

Common Bottle Glass

Common Bottle Glass may be described as an example of complex formulae. Common bottle glass, or tank metal, is made from a silicate of soda, alumina, lime, magnesia, and iron, as follows : Common sand, containing iron and alumina, 100 parts; greenstone or basalt (a silicate of alumina, iron, lime, magnesia, and potash), 25 parts; dolomite limestone (magnesia and lime), 30 parts; sulphate of soda, 35 parts; carbon, 5 parts. Felspathic granites may be also used in such glasses.

Bottle glasses require intense heat to melt, and are usually dark in colour when made from igneous rocks, owing to the large amount of colorific oxides present in such materials. These dark colours are not objected to in bottles for stout, wine, and beer.

It will be noticed these formulae cover a long range, from the best table glass to the commonest dark bottle glass. Besides these, opal, opalescent, and fancy glasses are made, in which either arsenic, tin, alumina, antimony, zinc or barium oxides or borates phosphates and fluorides may enter into the compositions.

Glass makers' recipes vary considerably in the proportions of the various materials used, according to the locality and the type of furnace used. Generally, it will be found that, where a gas-fired furnace is in use, a larger proportion of sand can be used and a cheaper metal produced.

The metals produced in covered pots are usually softer and contain more lead and fluxes than those produced in open pots. In using open pots the heat of the furnace has direct access to the surface of the metal therein. In the case of covered pots, the heat has to be conducted through the cover of the pot, which retards the heat to a certain extent. On this account, softer mixtures are used in covered pots.