creation

making process

Where do the ingredients for glass come from

Nowadays, glassmakers can purchase purified raw materials, and glass suppliers provide various types of glass in granulated or rod form. In the past, locally available sand or soda were used. The silica in sand provides a good material for glassmaking.

Sodium or potassium was obtained from salt pans, potassium mines, plants or trees. Ash derived from burning halophytic (salt-tolerant) plants or trees could be added as a flux. Halophytic plants from coastal areas contain high levels of sodium and sometimes small amounts of potassium.

Natural soda was obtained by burning halophytic plants such as glasswort (Salicornia spp.), barilla (Salsola soda, or Soda inermis by its modern name) and prickly saltwort (Salsola kali). This soda generally contained much more sodium than potassium.

Ash from burnt wood in forested areas was a good source of potassium. Potash made from beechwood ash contains almost no barium or lime and only small amounts of phosphorus. Potash is made by mixing the ash with water, filtering out or allowing the insoluble components, such as lime, barium compounds and phosphorus compounds, to settle, and then evaporating the solution (e.g. Maus and Jenisch, 1998).

In the 19th century, a method was developed for producing synthetic sodium carbonate. The invention of synthetic sodium and potassium made it possible to use much purer raw materials.

The quality and composition of glass can still depend today on the precise origin of the minerals. Aspects of the manufacturing process, such as the conditions in the factory or glass studio itself, can also help ensure the consistent quality of the final product.

Glass can also be reused by remelting or re-forming existing glass.