Overview
Glass is made by heating sand, mostly silicon dioxide, at very high temperatures until it melts and turns into a liquid. The molten glass can be poured into a bath of molten tin for support and blasted with pressurized nitrogen to shape and polish it. This glass is called float glass.
Raw Materials
To make clear glass, the right set of raw materials is required, including silica sand, sodium oxide, calcium oxide, dolomite, and feldspar. These are mixed in the right proportion and heated to 1500°C.
Steps and Final Product
The glass melt is cooled quickly to keep it from crystallizing. Through inspections, defects can be identified. Finally, the glass ribbons are cut into square shapes.