Call us at 888.619.2226

Tag Archive for: glass

Glass could contain radioactive waste

/in , /by

Glass could contain radioactive waste

Glass could contain radioactive waste

Researchers at Rutgers have determined that certain radioactive isotopes could safely be encased in glass for long-term storage. The scientists were working with iodine-129, which is particularly persistent. By encasing the iodine in ceramics and glass, they were able to isolate the dangerous element, store it at room temperature and store it indefinitely.

Without containment, iodine-129 disperses easily into the air and water. In humans, iodine-129 can easily damage sensitive organs and tissues, and is known to cause cancer. Iodine-129 has a half-life of nearly 16 million years, which means, practically speaking, that it will never achieve a human-safe state.

The US Department of Energy was one of the primary funding sources for the research. The DOE hopes to use the findings to address the broader issue of radioactive waste containment and disposal. Although the Rutgers research has concentrated on radioactive iodine, the method may be useful in encapsulating other forms of radioactive waste, including spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants. Currently, spent fuel rods are stored in place at nuclear power plants. Being able to dispose of the exhausted rods safely could make nuclear power more attractive.

Glass is an exceptionally versatile material, and because it is inert, it can perform in a wide number of applications. Glass can be used in containers, and as a surface for either countertops or walls.

Using specialized coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint, glass can also be painted virtually any color. Backpainted glass can serve in virtually any environment. By applying paint directly to plain glass or tempered glass, you can liven up any room. It offers complete stain resistance, durability and cleans (and sanitizes) easily using ordinary household cleaners.

Best of all, Glassprimer™ glass paint is cost effective. You can achieve your desired coverage for about $1 per square foot.

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: Albert Kruger/U.S. Department of Energy

Samsung goes for super water repellent glass

/in , /by
Samsung goes for super water repellent glass

Samsung goes for super water repellent glass

Samsung Electronics has licensed some new water-repelling technology developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The technology will help Samsung’s electronic devices repel surface water easily.

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) spent about three years developing the specialized coating, which repels water, dirt, oil and dust. It also reduces glare and resists both smudges and fingerprints. The coating consists of a thin film layer of porous glass that manipulates the contact angle of liquids and small solids like dust.

The coating was developed by depositing a thin glass film on top of glass, and heating it. Selective etching was then used to make a 3-dimensional surface that resembles coral under a microscope. The dimensional surface enables both the water repellence and the anti-glare properties.

The technology can be used to give other types of glass the same properties. It can be used on solar panels, windows, lenses and other applications. Although Samsung is the exclusive licensee for the technology for certain applications, the technology can still be licensed for use on solar panels and windows by other parties. The coating technology was recognized with an R & D 100 award in 2015.

Many advances in the field of glass coating are allowing glass to perform like it never has before. Nanoscale changes t the glass surface allow glass to take on characteristics not normally attributed to glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint is a good example of a novel glass coating technique.

Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with the glass surface that enables paint to adhere permanently to glass. This allows the paint to perform well even under difficult circumstances, including varying temperatures, high humidity and direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint can also be tinted to match the paint palette of any major paint manufacturer. That allows you to incorporate Glassprimer™ glass paint seamlessly into any decorating plan.

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: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Glass: More than just a pretty façade

/in , /by

Glass: More than just a pretty façade

Glass: More than just a pretty façade

There are a number of reasons to incorporate glass into your decorating plans. Glass has a lot going for it! Here are a few reasons to consider going with glass.

Transparency can do a lot to improve the appearance of a space. Going transparent fools the eye into believing that a space is larger than it is. The transparency of a material allows the viewer to “look through” a space. Objects are still objects, but you can reclaim the space (at least vicariously) that a transparent object takes up. Glass tables, walls, desks and other see-through items can really expand a space.

Glass allows the transmission of natural light. The human body literally craves natural light. Natural light helps regulate a person’s “body clock,” which is so important to health and well-being. Exposure to natural light helps regulate the body’s wake and sleep cycles, and the production of key hormones, chemicals and vitamins the body needs to stay healthy.

Another key benefit of glass in an interior design scheme is the regulation of sound. As it turns out, glass is a much better sound insulator than other common building materials. Wood, for example, is used commonly in both residential and commercial buildings. It’s used in structural components, walls, floors and doors. But wood isn’t a particularly good sound insulator. Sound penetrates wood relatively easily, which means that buildings require additional insulators to help dampen sound.

Controlling sound is important, whether you’re working with a residential or commercial space. While wood can reduce sound vibrations by something in the range of 15dB-20dB, a material like glass can reduce it by as much as 40dB – 45dB. That’s a huge difference!

Ironically, in a commercial space, glass provides better sound privacy than wood or drywall does. You can use specially formulated acoustical drywall, or add acoustic insulation, but that can add significant cost to a project, and may not produce measurably better results.

With a specialty paint like Glassprimer™ glass paint, you can also paint glass to change its appearance without changing its sound-cancelling properties. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match virtually any major paint manufacturer’s paint palette, so you can safely and accurately incorporate it into your decorating plan.

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: Camelia TWU, via Flickr.com

Glass fiber development aids aviation

/in , /by
Glass fiber development aids aviation

Glass fiber development aids aviation

Airbus and Fokker have teamed up to further develop an aviation material known as fiber metal laminate (FML). FML was developed for use on airplane fuselages to lighten the weight of the aircraft. FML is made from alternating layers of aluminum and glass fibers. The material is used in strategic areas of the aircraft, and can reduce the finished weight of a vehicle by about 15%.

The companies intend to develop high-volume production methods and tweak the material formula to incorporate newer glass fibers into the mix. According to the companies, “smart” production – which could be conducted primarily by robots – will lower the cost of the material and make it more attractive to aircraft manufacturers. FML has been used successfully on the upper fuselage and the tail structure of the Airbus A380 since it was developed.

FML was originally created by Fokker, a Dutch aviation company along with researchers from the Technical University of Delft and the National Dutch Aerospace Laboratory about 20 years ago. It was successfully integrated into A380 production in 2005. It is attractive because it offers a high degree of strength and can be produced more sustainably and at a lower cost than more traditional airframe materials. It also offers a viable lightweight alternative to traditional components, and has a fire safety rating that

The first generation material is known as GLARE (glass laminate aluminum reinforced epoxy). During manufacturing, the glass fiber layers can be oriented to produce a finished material with a highly predictable stress response.

GLARE can be repaired using traditional metalworking techniques, another plus for an industry that’s highly dependent upon field-based repairs. It has a better tolerance for damage than aluminum, as well as better corrosion resistance. It also provides a good demonstration of the versatility of glass.

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: Greg Hounslow , via Flickr.com

Glass was an ancient status symbol

/in , /by

Glass was an ancient status symbol

Glass was an ancient status symbol

An archaeology researcher from the University of Leicester in the UK believes that early civilizations used glass as a status symbol rather than as a practical material. Dr. Chloe Duckworth says that ancient civilizations invested in technologies like glassmaking more as a display of power.

She bases the hypothesis on the examples of early glasses, most of which were opaque or heavily colored. They often resembled semi-precious and precious materials like lapis lazuli and carnelian, which were used extensively by the wealthiest and most powerful people in society. Early examples of glass were almost exclusively used in decorative applications, and as containers for perfumes and oils that would not have been available to ordinary citizens.

Duckworth looked at the evolution of glass blowing and determined that it was a response to societal needs rather than a driver. She believes that glass may have originally been envisioned as a way to fill a social need, and did not morph into a useful material that was available to the masses until much later in the material’s history. She points to modern uses for glass, including fiber optic cables and precision lenses, and says that early developers of the material did not see the practical uses of glass, even for more mundane applications like windows and practical storage containers.

Today, we tend to look beyond the decorative capacity of glass and focus on its most practical applications. In reality, glass can be both practical and decorative. One characteristic of glass is its impervious surface. On one hand, it allows light to flow freely through it. On the other hand, opacity is sometimes preferred.

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: Daniel Jolivet, via Flickr.com

Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

/in , /by
Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

Guardian Industries, one of the largest manufacturers of float glass in the world, announced that the Venezuelan government nationalized its float glass plant in the State of Monagas in July. Following the shutdown, the government invoked a law that allows it to seize abandoned manufacturing facilities. Guardian says that the facility was not abandoned, and that the company had shuttered the facility to replace aging production equipment. Typically, the equipment in glass plants runs around the clock for about 15 years before being shut down for maintenance or replacement.

The Guardian glass plant was not the government’s only seizure target. Kimberly-Clark also lost control of a diaper manufacturing plant in the country. That plant, near Caracas, manufactured nearly half of the diapers sold in Venezuela.

In early August, the Venezuelan government announced that it had “restarted” the Guardian plant, but it is not clear what, if anything, is being manufactured there. The government said it intends to manufacture about 350 tons of flat glass per day. Following the seizure, Guardian issued a warning about the condition of the plant, saying that the existing equipment in the plant was “end-of-life” and that continued use could be dangerous.

Manufacturing is exceptionally difficult in Venezuela at the moment due to the country’s runaway inflation. Kimberly-Clark said it ceased manufacturing at its Caracas-area plant because it could no longer purchase raw materials. Guardian said it shut down its Monagas glass plant as part of a planned upgrade to the equipment there.

Venezuela has a history of seizing the assets of foreign companies since the 1990’s. Extreme economic pressures are contributing to the increasing desperation inside the country. Venezuela is heavily dependent on the sale of oil to fund its national treasury. Since the price of oil has dropped to near-record lows, the country’s economy has spiraled into a deep depression. Widespread unemployment and high inflation have both stripped the shelves of retailers and made importing products next to impossible.

Guardian could petition the World Bank for a judgment in its favor, but even being compensated for the seizure could be meaningless. Owens-Illinois was awarded compensation from the World Bank in 2011 for the loss of two glass manufacturing plants in Venezuela, but has yet to receive any payments. Guardian could also write off the loss, which would take both the asset and the associated expenses (including debt) off of the company’s books.

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: Julio Cesar Mesa, via Flickr.com

Research opens up metallic glass

/in , /by

A team of researchers from Duke University, Harvard University and Yale University are unlocking the secrets of metallic glass. Sometimes, molten metal cools too fast. When this happens, the atoms don’t have time to arrange themselves in the standard crystalline structure that defines most solid materials. Instead, the atoms in these metals cool and harden in random patterns, in exactly the same way that ordinary glass does. The resulting product is known as a metallic glass.

Scientists know how to create metallic glasses, but they don’t know – before they actually generate the glass – what properties the resulting glass will have. In some cases, metallic glasses may be conductive, super strong, super hard or they may have other properties that are equally desirable or specialized. The trial-and-error nature of the process makes discoveries among metallic glasses slow, and a bit of a mixed bag.

The researchers have discovered a way to predict the properties of a metallic glass product without having to manufacture or tweak anything. The process promises to save time and money, and could lead to the development of novel materials with highly desirable properties.

The researchers created a database and simulation software that examines all possible outcomes of a combination of elements, given the materials provided and their tendencies to form certain structures in nature. The simulation looks at a variety of atomic characteristics, and based on the information, is able to determine the likelihood that a particular selection of materials will bond. It can also determine the likelihood that other materials with similar atomic characteristics will bond.

The simulation allows the researchers to identify candidate materials that are more likely to bond together in a novel way. By eliminating material combinations that are likely to fail, scientists can spend more time in the lab working with materials that have a higher probability of success.

To determine the value of their simulator, the researchers tested their simulation on materials that are already known to produce metallic glass. The simulator correctly predicted successful combinations about three-quarters of the time.

At present, about two dozen known metallic glasses exist. If the simulator is correct, the researchers may be able to generate about 250 new combinations of metallic glasses with different, useful properties. So far, the simulator works with just two alloys, but the researchers have plans to reconfigure it to consider the possible outcomes of working with three different alloys. In the mean time, the researchers can also work on creating metallic glasses from the possibilities the similar has identified.

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.

Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

/in , /by
Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

If you’ve been paying attention to the recent changes in the glass industry, you know that the future of certain kinds of glass – specifically stained glass – is on the line. But a developing trend in glassmaking may also have negative consequences for basic science, and one community college is doing something about it.

Research scientists often need special glass tools to conduct experiments. Expert glassblowers, who create “made-to-order” pieces that get used in the lab, often build those tools exclusively for research. The number of glassblowers is declining, but the need for intricate glass tools isn’t. Salem Community College in Alloway, NJ offers the only scientific glassblowing program in the United States. The school graduates about 20 scientific glass blowers each year. Many of those graduates will take up positions at research universities around the country.

Never heard of scientific glassblowing? You’re not alone. The American Scientific Glassblowers’ Society estimates that there are fewer than 500 scientific glassblowers in the United States. Its membership has slipped from over 1,000 in the 1970’s to less than half of that today. Most scientific glassblowers stay with one employer for life.

The difficulty in finding scientific glassblowers owes somewhat to the fact that many research universities are not willing to put more than one glassblower on their payroll. On one hand, it reduces the overhead cost of having specialists on staff. On the other hand, it means that fewer scientific glassblowers get the experience they need to fill positions when they do open.

Glassblowing students don’t just learn how to make glass. They also need to study organic chemistry, math, computer design and other classes that don’t factor into a pure “art” program. In addition to their curriculum, they need to learn to work directly with the scientists who often provide a rough design for the tools they’re looking for. Scientific glassblowing helps to advance a variety of sciences, including telecommunications, laser research, semiconductor research and research into subatomic particles.

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: Jennifer Pack, via Flickr.com

Glass slide fabricated from single piece

/in , /by
Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Engineers at London-based Eckersley O’Callaghan have developed a 30-ft glass slide fabricated from a single piece of laminated, annealed glass. The piece was demonstrated at Glass Tec in Dusseldorf last month. The slide is made from two pieces of glass bonded together with transparent structural silicone adhesive (TSSA). The vertical member, which serves as the ladder, has glass treads that are attached to it using TSSA.

The TSSA adhesive dries to a virtually clear state, can support the weight of an adult, and is able to resist the shear forces that form when the slide is in use. The Vidre Slide, which was designed and fabricated to maximize transparency, is intended for a project in Hong Kong.

Cricursa fabricated glass slide and ladder

Eckersley O’Callaghan worked with a Barcelona-based company – Cricursa, which developed the curved fabrication technique – to produce the slide. Cricursa specializes in creating curved glass for architectural applications and has worked on creating distinctive façades and other glass components for a number of signature projects. Cricursa works with all types of glass, including laminated, low-emissivity, low-reflective and insulated glass, as well as oversized glass and glass flooring.

According to Eckersley O’Callaghan, the slide exemplifies beneficial ways in which engineers and fabricators can work together on projects, and tests the limits of the practical applications for glass and structural adhesives. Although Cricursa specializes in specialty glass production, the Vidre Slide uses two tightly curved seamless glass chutes that rely heavily upon the adhesive for structural soundness. The slide also features a metal support structure that ties the ladder and chute together for added stability.

While the slide is nowhere near the tallest or longest slide in production, it is the longest glass slide formed from a single sheet of glass. Eckersley O’Callaghan did not indicate where or when the slide will be installed.

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: Eckersley O’Callaghan

Spontaneous glass breakage confounds

/in , /by
Spontaneous glass breakage confounds

Spontaneous glass breakage confounds

If you ask industry experts, one of the most confounding things about glass is the phenomenon of spontaneous breakage. As the name suggests, glass shatters without any apparent cause. Doors, windows and other large sheets of glass seemingly burst. So what causes spontaneous glass breakage? Can it be predicted? More importantly, can it be prevented?

Many different causes of spontaneous glass breakage have been identified, and many of them are not as mysterious as they initially appear. Seemingly minor damage along the edge of a glass panel may cause glass to break without warning. Glass can also be damaged at the time of installation. The damage may not be readily apparent, but this kind of damage can come back to haunt an unaware property owner!

Sometimes the seeds of destruction are sown much earlier – at the moment the glass is created. Inclusions in the raw materials can cause the glass to develop weak spots. Under the right atmospheric conditions, or during normal operation, the inclusions can cause the glass to shatter.

One such inclusion is nickel sulfide. If nickel sulfide, which can be found in the raw materials used to produce glass, is present in the glass mixture, it can pool in the center of the pane when the glass forms and cools. These nickel sulfide “stones” are often imperceptible, and can wreak havoc long after the glass has cooled. Once the glass is installed, temperature fluctuations can change the size of the nickel sulfide deposit, and can flex the glass, which leads to sudden, spontaneous glass breakage. It’s important to note that nickel sulfide causes spontaneous breakage only in tempered glass. Untempered (annealed or heat strengthened) glass does not experience this phenomenon, although it also can break spontaneously for other reasons.

Most glass manufacturers try to eliminate nickel sulfide from their raw materials. In doing so, they reduce the likelihood that tempered versions of their glass will be manufactured with this fatal flaw. In addition, manufacturers sometimes stress the glass panels with heat in an attempt to identify (and destroy) suspect panels before they can be shipped to the end user.

Most often, the cause of spontaneous glass breakage can be traced to production-level flaws, glazing or installation damage, or significant temperature variations that affect the glass once it has been installed in its permanent location.

Because there are so many different causes of spontaneous glass failure, it’s unlikely that they can all be eliminated. Inclusions are often microscopic, and aren’t visible with the naked eye. Testing the finished panels can often help identify flaws, to ensure they aren’t installed. Other approaches, including heat strengthening and laminating, can help control the result of breakage and limit the possibility of injuries.

Fortunately spontaneous glass breakage is rare. Thanks to safety treatments for glass, the risk of injury is also reduced when spontaneous breakage occurs.

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: , via FreeImages.com