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Corning Museum of Glass Is Worth The Trip

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Corning Museum of Glass Is Worth The Trip

Corning Museum of Glass Is Worth The Trip

If you like glass, one of your “bucket list” items should be a visit to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. The museum features a veritable history of glass, and its collection includes pieces dating back to 3,500 BC. The Museum was founded in 1951 and operated in its original space until 1978. A new building was designed and built. It opened in 1980. An expansion was completed in 1996 and houses additional parts of the collection.

Part of the motivation for building a new space was the damage the Museum suffered during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The collection was severely impacted by more than five feet of flood waters that entered the Museum following the hurricane. Not all of the affected parts of the collection were glass. Hundreds of rare books were also damaged in the aftermath of the hurricane. The Museum reopened about two months after the hurricane, but full restoration of the 13,000-piece collection took more than two years. Since that time, the museum’s collection has expanded to more than 40,000 pieces.

The collection features a wide range of glass and glass-related items, including pieces from both historical and contemporary artists. The collection includes pieces that date back to the earliest societies, the Roman Empire, the Middle East, various significant periods in European history, Asian glass items and items from North America. The Museum features both special and permanent collections of glass and glass-related items.

The Museum is more than just a place to look at glass. Visitors can also interact with hands-on displays, glassmaking demonstrations, glass blowing demonstrations, and of course glass-breaking demonstrations. The Museum sponsors glass making demonstrations on certain Celebrity cruise ships, as well.

Aside from displaying, cataloging and interpreting the history and significance of glass, the Museum also conducts glass research. Much of the research focuses on the history of glassmaking, glass conservation and glass material research. The museum is located in Corning, NY and is open open daily, with the exception of New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store

Photo Credit: Chris Dlugosz, via Flickr.com

Taggers gravitate to glass wall

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Taggers gravitate to glass wall

Taggers gravitate to glass wall

In any major city, there are few places you can go and not see graffiti. Toronto is no different. Graffiti is pervasive, but certain areas seem to attract more attention than others. Toronto has a major mass transit system, which includes both subway trains and commuter trains that reach out to the outlying areas of the city.

With the city’s heavy reliance on trains, one constant issue is sound. Toronto attempts to control sound from its trains to whatever extent is possible. That involves constructing sound barriers that protect neighborhoods from the constant rumble of the trains.

One innovative sound barrier is made from glass. Glass is a better sound insulator than most materials, and it has the advantage of dampening sound without leaving a potentially unattractive wall that seals off a portion of a neighborhood.

Walls of any kind are typical targets of graffiti artists, and the glass wall is no different. Taggers almost immediately began painting the wall. The wall isn’t impervious to graffiti, but it does clean up easier than it would on a porous surface like cement or cinder block.

Ordinary paint will dry on glass, but it won’t stay put. That’s because ordinary paint is designed to work on porous surfaces. The paint soaks into the surface, which then retains the paint.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is designed to make a permanent bond with the glass surface. Once cured, it will not peel, chip or fade. It can also be tinted to match any color from any major paint manufacturer’s palette.

We don’t recommend using Glassprimer™ glass paint to create graffiti, but it can be used to paint and decorate homes and commercial spaces, for both interior and exterior projects. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jose Carlos Casimiro, via Flickr.com

Direct doping glass may lead to new materials

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Direct doping glass may lead to new materials

Direct doping glass may lead to new materials

If your casual discussions with friends don’t revolve around upconversion nanocrystals, you’re probably in good company. Very good company. What are upconversion nanocrystals, and what to they have to do with glass?

Infrared light has longer wavelengths than visible light. If we could see it, we would find it beyond the red edge of visible light. About half of the Sun’s energy that reaches the Earth is infrared. Molecules absorb and emit infrared energy, which makes IR energy useful for sensors and detectors. Infrared energy is used in night vision equipment, astronomy and to control equipment.

Generally speaking, lightwaves are what they are. Ultraviolet and infrared light are transmitted from the Sun as part of the “full-spectrum” but our eyes can’t see them directly. They are invisible frequencies, although we can see (and feel) their effects.

So, enter upconversion nanocrystals, which have the ability to “convert” invisible IR light to visible light. Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles have been around since the 1990’s and they (along with a select few other elements) turn out to be reasonably good at converting IR wavelengths into visible light.

This conversion is important because it can enable new sensing techniques. The trouble is that the particles need to be suspended precisely in order to be useful. Glass and ceramics are great media for suspending things, but if you know anything about the way glass operates at the molecular level, you know that it’s kind of random. So far, glass and ceramics have proven to be both enticing and problematic when it comes to integrating upconversion nanocrystals.

Earlier this summer, Australian researchers announced that they have developed a technique to introduce upconversion nanocrystals into glass in such a way that overcomes the challenges they encountered when using ceramics and other types of glass. The development could lead to new advances tumor detection and other biomedical applications, remote radiation sensing and 3-dimensional displays.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: David Merrigan, via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – Aldar Headquarters

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Iconic Glass Structures – Aldar Headquarters

Iconic Glass Structures – Aldar Headquarters

This week, we look at the Aldar Headquarters (also spelled Al Dar) in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The circular glass building was completed in 2010 and rises 110 meters above grade. If you’re thinking that the building is a round tower, you’re not thinking about this correctly. It looks more like a glass and steel Oreo standing on its side.

The building features 23 interior floors, but because of its unique design and size, it offers about the same floor space as a 40-story building. The completed structure offers about 62,000 square meters of office space, and the building can hold 120,000 people at one time. The outer façades curve, but they’re actually created from a series of triangular flat glass pieces. The façades face east and west to allow sunlight to penetrate the building.

Despite the significant sun exposure, the building earned a silver LEED certification, and features efficient lighting and water systems. In addition, the building features a vacuum-based waste disposal system. Refuse is vacuum-extracted from the building and deposited in a nearby waste transfer station.

The glass and steel building design was influenced by a fanciful design drafted by French architect Etienne-Louis Boullee in 1784 as an homage to Sir Isaac Newton. The Cenotaph for Newton was never built or attempted. The working design for the Aldar Headquarters was created by MZ Architects. Principle architect Marwan Zgheib said he modeled his design for the building after a clam shell, since Abu Dhabi is heavily influenced by its proximity to the sea.

The building was the first diagrid structure to be built in the UAE. The diagrid construction eliminates the need for support columns. This in turn opens a wide range of options for the building’s interior design.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: Ahmed Al Harthi, via Flickr.com

Your beer glass could be spying on you

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Your beer glass could be spying on you

Your beer glass could be spying on you

With all the talk about who makes the best beer, another beer-related battle is brewing – who makes the best beer glass? A startup called Glassify says that it will soon bring its “smart glass” to a corner brewery near you – if you live in Europe or North America.

The glass is outfitted with a NFC chip and QR code combo that’s been embedded in the base of the glass. In theory, the consumer bellies up to the bar, introduces his brew to his smartphone (which is loaded with the Glassify app) and a little bit of marketing magic happens. The customer’s identity, age and location is transmitted to the brewery. In exchange, the customer receives a free beer or other promotion.

Patrons can “charge” their glasses with money to spend at the bar, and can transfer drinks to friends. In addition to receiving promotions at the bar they’re currently visiting, patrons can also receive promotions for nearby establishments. The app also keeps track of what a person orders, so bars can already see a patron’s preferences.

Never heard of a smart glass? Not surprising. Right now, there are only a few thousand glasses in use as part of a pilot program in the Europe and US. The smart glass invasion is expected to heat up in earnest in the first half of 2017. Based on the results of the pilot program, bars say that sales have increased substantially because of the glass. The programming limits the number of promotions to five per visit for each drinker. The app can also interface with Uber to help bar patrons avoid DUIs.

The smart glass just goes to show that there are a lot of things you can do with glass, including increasing drink sales!

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store

Photo Credit: Glassify

Japanese glass makers push heat blocking glass

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Japanese glass makers push heat blocking glass

Japanese glass makers push heat blocking glass

Japanese glass makers are trying to increase the use of heat-blocking glass in buildings under construction. The goal is to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings throughout the country.

Asahi Glass Company makes a heat shielded solar cell unit. The unit collects solar energy but allows people to see through it. The glass blocks heat generating light wavelengths and absorbs incoming light to reduce glare and the need for air conditioning.

Another heat blocking glass product made by the Nippon Sheet Glass Company is transparent until it absorbs heat. When it absorbs heat, it darkens to prevent additional heat from being transmitted through the glass. The glass operates in both directions, so it can block heat transfer from a building to the outside. This helps reduce heat loss in the evening and during the winter. The color-changing glass eliminates the need for curtains or mechanical shades, which makes it ideal for public spaces, unattended spaces and for windows that may be difficult to reach, but that could otherwise transmit significant heat.

The idea of heat-blocking glass is certainly not new, and it’s possible – using transparent films applied to the glass surface – to block the transfer of heat or the transmission of light. The heat blocking glass products simply build this capability directly into the glass. The integrated glass will last longer than applied films will, and work well in special circumstances.

One way to control the accumulation of heat through glass is by applying a coating like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is formulated especially for use on glass. It forms a permanent bond with the surface of the glass, and will not chip, fade or peel, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

Its exceptional UV resistance allows you to control heat transmission while still allowing light transmission. In addition, Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match any paint palette from any major paint manufacturer. If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jon Rawlinson, via Flickr.com

Researcher develops glass antenna

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Researcher develops glass antenna

Researcher develops glass antenna

A researcher at the Utah State University has developed a transparent glass antenna. The antenna, developed by Dr. Reyhan Baktur is printed on glass and could replace the current heavy antennas used on satellites and other structures.

According to Dr. Baktur, an antenna could be printed on solar panels, which would allow sunlight to penetrate the antenna and reach the solar panel easily. That could be important for a space application because it could allow a device to have an antenna that doesn’t interfere with solar energy collection, and that reduces the overall weight of the device at the same time.

In addition, the transparent antenna can transmit data t a higher rate than conventional antennas. The project is still in development, but NASA will be reviewing the work and may apply the technology to an active mission in the future. The research that led to the development of the technology was partly funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA.

The printed antenna could be used in other applications that are closer to home. Baktur says that antennas could be printed on building windows, automobile glass and even clothing. In construction, printed antennas could be used to replace rooftop antennas. In automotive applications, printed antennas could assist in crash detection and other vehicle based telemetry.

The versatility of glass opens opportunities, not just for space-age applications, but also ordinary ones. Glass has been produced for thousands of years, but we’re just now examining the potential of glass.

Glass coatings extend the versatility of glass. For example, Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. It can be tinted to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer, and will not chip, fade or peel, even in direct sunlight. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. If you’d like to learn more about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Kordite, via Flickr.com

Did Portland glass factory pollute groundwater?

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Did Portland glass factory pollute groundwater?

Did Portland glass factory pollute groundwater?

Oregon state environmental regulators aren’t done looking at Bullseye Glass, the Portland glass factory at the center of an air quality issue in that city. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality now says that rainwater runoff from the factory’s roof may have deposited toxic heavy metals into the soil and groundwater near the furnace.

Investigators sampled the contents of dry wells on the company’s property and found some contaminants in concentrations as much as 33 times as high as federal limits for drinking water. While the runoff is not used for drinking, it does eventually filter into the groundwater, which may be used for drinking. Regulators are sampling the groundwater around the facility to test for the presence of heavy metals.

The roof runoff has been directed into the company’s dry wells for years, leading to the possibility of substantial contamination of the soil around the glass furnace. In addition to the toxic runoff, regulators also found about two feet of highly contaminated sediment at the bottom of the dry wells. Some of the concentrations of contaminants in the sediment were found to be thousands of times higher than the maximum allowable federal standards.

According to test results, the sediment in the dry well contained excessive levels of cadmium, lead, arsenic, hexavalent chromium and selenium. The dry well has been capped for some time, however the sediment in the well accumulated there over a period of more than 20 years. Bullseye Glass built the dry well in question in 1992, during an expansion of the company’s facilities.

The investigation was spurred by complaints that the glass furnace was improperly disposing of unwanted materials. Investigators found glass from the factory in manholes adjacent to the company’s property. The company was fined $600 and warned not to deposit any impermissible items in the city sewers. As part of the investigation, the city also looked at how materials, including rainwater runoff, are disposed of.

The company was also cited for faulty equipment cleaning practices that caused powdered glass fragments to be deposited on the company’s roof. Glass crushers were routinely cleaned out with compressed air, and the pulverized glass particles from the crushers was exhausted to the roof. The pulverized glass particles were then dispersed into the air, and washed off the roof into the sediment layer of the company’s dry wells.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, it is likely that Bullseye Glass will be required to develop a treatment plan for rainwater runoff that addresses the collection of heavy metals. The findings are significant because it is at least somewhat likely that other glass furnaces have contaminated soil around their facilities by improperly treating or discharging rainwater.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: Pearl Pirie, via Flickr.com

China’s fascination with glass may have gone too far

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china-glass-bathrooms-300x225

China has been the site of many recent, high-profile glass attractions – bridges, walkouts, observation platforms and the like. The goal of these attractions are usually entertainment, but China may have taken its love affair with glass just one step too far.

Tourists at Shiyan Lake in the country’s Hunan Province can take full advantage of the park’s public restrooms, which are made entirely of glass, but at least on the facilities’ first day in action, most visitors chose not to.

The bathrooms are perched above the area’s spectacular forests, and feature glass-walled stalls and glass floors. The glass walls and stall doors are not heavily frosted, so it’s possible for other park visitors to see inside each cubicle, and there’s not much visual separation between the men’s and women’s restrooms. The floors in the treetop lavs are made from clear glass.

Most tourists have expressed a great deal of reservation about using the all-glass lavatories, and the concept gives new meaning to the French phrase, “natural break.” Nonetheless, some brave visitors have made good use of the treetop potties, while others have said that their need to go outweighed their need for privacy.

If you’re considering a frosted glass project, you might consider an alternative that produces similar results. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers a frosted finish on its paint that creates a frosted effect without the cost associated with frosted glass. And unlike frosted glass, which is created using a chemical or mechanical abrading process, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually any color. You don’t need to settle for traditional white, although virtually any shade of white is available!

Glassprimer™ glass paint provides excellent coverage for about $1 per square foot, which is less expensive than traditional frosted glass. In addition, Glassprimer™ glass paint bonds permanently with glass surfaces, so it won’t chip, fade or peel, even in direct sunlight.

For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: South China Morning Post

Shanghai researchers develop bone-repairing bioglass

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Shanghai researchers develop bone-repairing bioglass

Shanghai researchers develop bone-repairing bioglass

Researchers from the Shanghai Jiaotong University and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology have developed a new bioglass compound to repair fractured bones. Using bioglass compounds to repair fractures isn’t new, but current bioglass mixtures are not very effective when working with major fractures and bone displacements.

The Shanghai researchers have combined mesoporous bioglass with a compound called C3S, one of the materials used in Portland cement. The resulting material is then used as a 3-D printing media to generate “scaffolds” that the body can use as a building block for new bone repairs. The bioglass eventually degrades, but not before it spurs the growth of new bone.

By itself, C3S doesn’t mesh very well with the growth rate of new bone in the body, which explains why it’s not very helpful in repairing major fractures. It also doesn’t work well with 3-D printing, because it sets very fast. To prevent curing, which limits its usefulness in bone repairs, the scientists added a binding agent to the C3S, and the mesoporous bioglass mixture. Following 3-D printing, the resulting “scaffolds” were cured in a water bath.

The hybrid scaffolds, which in some cases were mixed with stem cells, were better at supporting bone growth and created a variety of different cells within the new growth. The material has not yet been tried in human or living animal subjects, but has only been used in the lab. The results so far have been promising, but more work will need to be done before it can be tested on humans.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store

Photo Credit: John Lillis, via Flickr.com