Glass and glassmaking

Abstract

Glasses ha ve been formed by the rapid cooling of magmas and lavas throughout the history of the earth. Obsidian, which is a black glass commonly used for primitive cutting tools and arrowheads, is probably the best known example. Glasses of different chemical composition have also been recovered from both the moon and from meteorites. They have yielded important insights into the genesis of the solar system.

The Influence of Solidification Techniques on the History of Material Culture

“…The practical use of glass increased greatly after the development of glass blowing around the first century B.C.E. (5,6 ). Glass vessels and windows were made in Roman times (7).…”

Spinodal Decomposition as an Interesting Example of the Application of Several Thermodynamic Principles

“…The different morphologies impart important properties to the resulting material. This is especially important in such diverse fields as glass making (If,12), metallurgy (13,14), polymer science (15,16), and statistical mechanics (17,18).…”