What is soda lime glass?
Soda lime glass is produced on a large scale and used for bottles, drinking glasses, and windows. Its light transmission properties and low melting temperature make it suitable for window glass, and its smooth and non-reactive surface makes it excellent as a container for food and drinks.
Soda-lime glassware manufacture process
1. Composition of the mixture according to the formula
The soda-lime glass cup’s main composition ratio materials of glass are as below table:
| Silica (SiO2) | 70.50% |
| Sodium Oxide (Na2O) | 13.16% |
| Calcium Oxide (CaO) | 9.58% |
| Alumina (Al203) | 3.21% |
| Boron Trioxide (B2O3) | 1% |
| Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) | 0.13% |
| … | … |
First, the raw materials for the glass are mixed in precise proportions. The main ingredients in soda-lime glass are silica, soda, and lime.
2. Melting the mixture in the furnace
These materials are combined in a furnace and heated to a high temperature, typically around 1,500-1,600 degrees Celsius.
3. Glass Forming
The forming method can be divided into manual forming (Hand blown) and mechanical (machine-made) forming. Once the mixture becomes molten, it is carefully poured or blown into a mold to create the desired shape. The mold will be in the shape of a cup with a handle and a rim for glass cups.
The mold is carefully controlled to ensure that the glass takes on the correct shape and thickness.
4. Annealing process
5. Quality inspection
In conclusion, the process of making soda-lime glass cups involves mixing the raw materials, heating them to a high temperature, pouring or blowing the molten glass into a mold, cooling and solidifying the glass, cutting it to the final shape, and inspecting it for quality. This process requires specialized equipment and expertise to ensure the final product is strong, durable, and free of defects.
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