What kind of material is glass?

Glass: A relatively transparent solid substance that forms a continuous network structure when melted. During the cooling process, the viscosity gradually increases and hardens without crystallizing silicate non-metallic materials. The composition of ordinary glass chemical oxide (Na2O·CaO·6SiO2), the main component is silica. It is widely used in buildings to isolate wind and light.

Also known as colored glaze in ancient China, it is a transparent, high-strength and hardness material that is airtight. Glass is chemically inert in everyday environments and does not interact with organisms, so it has a wide range of uses. Glass is generally insoluble in acid (exception: hydrofluoric acid reacts with glass to form SiF4, leading to corrosion of glass); but is soluble in strong bases, such as cesium hydroxide. Glass is an amorphous supercooled liquid. The molten glass cools rapidly and the molecules do not have enough time to form crystals to form glass.

Glass is simply classified into flat glass and special glass. Flat glass is mainly divided into three types: top-drawing flat glass (divided into grooved/grooved), flat-drawing flat glass and float glass. Due to its uniform thickness, flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces, high labor productivity and ease of management, float glass is becoming the mainstream of glass manufacturing methods. There are many varieties of special glass. The following is a description of the common varieties in decoration:

[Edit this paragraph] The history of glass

Glass was originally solidified by acidic rock erupted from volcanoes. And get. About 3700 BC, the ancient Egyptians had made glass decorations and simple glass vessels. At that time, they only had colored glass. About 1000 BC, China made colorless glass. In the 12th century AD, commercial glass appeared and began to become an industrial material. In the 18th century, optical glass was produced to meet the needs of developing telescopes. In 1873, Belgium first produced flat glass. In 1906, the United States produced a flat glass loading machine. Since then, with the industrialization and large-scale production of glass, glass with various uses and properties has been introduced one after another. In modern times, glass has become an important material in daily life, production and science and technology.

More than 3,000 years ago, a European Phoenician merchant ship was loaded with the crystal mineral "natural soda" [2] and sailed on the Belous River on the Mediterranean coast. Due to low tide, the merchant ship ran aground.

So the crew stepped onto the beach one after another. Some crew members also carried a large pot, moved firewood, and used a few pieces of "natural soda" as a support for the large pot to cook on the beach.

As the crew finished their meal, the tide began to rise. When they were about to pack up and board the ship to continue sailing, someone suddenly shouted: "Everyone, come and look, there are some crystal bright and sparkling things on the sand under the pot!"

The crew put these The shining thing was brought to the boat for careful study. They found that these shiny things had some quartz sand and melted natural soda stuck to them. It turns out that these shiny things are crystals produced by the chemical reaction between the natural soda used to make pot supports when they were cooking, and the quartz sand on the beach under the action of flames. This is the earliest glass. Later, the Phoenicians combined quartz sand and natural soda, and then melted it in a special furnace to make glass balls, which made the Phoenicians make a fortune.

Around the 4th century, the Romans began to apply glass to doors and windows. By 1291, Italian glassmaking technology was very advanced.

"Our country's glass manufacturing technology must not be leaked. All glass craftsmen must be brought together to produce glass!"

In this way, all Italian glass craftsmen were sent to They go to an isolated island to produce glass, and they are not allowed to leave the island during their lives.

In 1688, a man named Nave invented the process of making large pieces of glass. From then on, glass became a common item.

The glass we use now is made of quartz sand, soda ash, feldspar and limestone at high temperatures.

A non-crystalline solid material obtained by gradually increasing the viscosity of the melt during cooling. Crisp and transparent. There are quartz glass, silicate glass, soda-lime glass, fluoride glass, etc. Usually refers to silicate glass, which is made from quartz sand, soda ash, feldspar and limestone as raw materials. After mixing, high-temperature melting and homogenization, it is processed into shape and then annealed. Widely used in construction, daily necessities, medical care, chemistry, electronics, instrumentation, nuclear engineering and other fields.

[Edit this paragraph] Classification of glass

Glass classification according to production process

- Hot melt glass: - Embossed glass - Forged glass - Wonderful glass - Glazed glass - wired glass - hotel products - polycrystalline glass - glass mosaic - shadowless glue glass

More and more people are paying attention to the display accessories, and a large part of the handicraft shapes are made of glass . Qiaodun Art Consultants (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. has many handicrafts using glass materials in its soft decoration solutions.

Below is a picture of a modern and simple glass material shape for everyone to understand.

Simple classification

The simple classification of glass is mainly divided into flat glass and special glass.

Flat glass is mainly divided into three types: top-drawing flat glass (divided into grooved/grooved), flat-drawing flat glass and float glass. Due to its uniform thickness, flat and parallel upper and lower surfaces, high labor productivity and ease of management, float glass is becoming the mainstream of glass manufacturing methods. There are many varieties of special glass. The following is a description of the common varieties in decoration:

1. Ordinary flat glass.

1. 3--4 centimeters of glass, mm is also called centimeters in daily life. What we call 3mm glass refers to glass with a thickness of 3mm. Glass of this size is mainly used for picture frame surfaces.

2. 5--6 centimeter glass, mainly used for small-area light-transmitting shapes such as exterior wall windows, door leaves, etc.

3. 7--9 centimeter glass, mainly used In indoor screens and other large-area shapes that are protected by frames.

4. 9--10cm glass can be used for large-area indoor partitions, railings and other decoration projects.

5. 11--12cm glass can be used in floor spring glass doors and some partitions with large flow of people.

6. Glass of 15cm or above is generally less available on the market and often requires an order. It is mainly used for large-area floor spring glass doors and entire glass walls.

2. Other glass

Speaking of other glass, it is just the author’s classification compared to flat glass, and it is not an official classification in the industry. Mainly include:

1. Tempered glass. It is a kind of prestressed glass that is reprocessed from ordinary flat glass. Compared with ordinary flat glass, tempered glass has two major characteristics:

1) The strength of the former is several times that of the latter, the tensile strength is more than 3 times that of the latter, and the impact resistance is 5 times that of the latter. More than times.

2) Tempered glass is not easily broken. Even if it is broken, it will break into particles without sharp angles, which greatly reduces the harm to the human body.

2. Frosted glass. It is also made by frosting on ordinary flat glass. Generally, the thickness is mostly below 9 centimeters, with the most thickness being 5 or 6 centimeters.

3. Sandblasted glass. The performance is basically similar to frosted glass, but the difference is that frosting is changed to sandblasting. Because the two are visually similar, many homeowners and even renovation professionals confuse them.

4. Patterned glass. It is a kind of flat glass made by rolling method. Its biggest feature is that it is light-transmitting and opaque, and it is often used in decoration areas such as bathrooms.

5. Wired glass. It is a kind of impact-resistant flat glass made by using the rolling method to embed metal wire or metal mesh in the glass plate. When it is hit, it will only form radial cracks and will not cause injury when it falls. Therefore, it is mostly used in high-rise buildings and factories with strong vibration.

6. Insulated glass. Gluing is often used to maintain a certain distance between two pieces of glass. The gap is filled with dry air, and the surrounding area is sealed with sealing materials. It is mainly used in decoration projects with sound insulation requirements.

7. Laminated glass. Laminated glass is generally composed of two pieces of ordinary flat glass (it can also be tempered glass or other special glass) and an organic adhesive layer between the glass. When damaged, the fragments still adhere to the adhesive layer, preventing damage to the human body from splashing fragments. It is mostly used in decoration projects with safety requirements.

8. Bulletproof glass. It is actually a type of laminated glass, but the glass is mostly made of higher strength tempered glass, and the number of interlayers is relatively large. It is mostly used in decoration projects with very high safety requirements such as banks or luxury homes.

9. Hot-bent glass. Curved glass is made by heating and softening flat glass, forming it in a mold, and then annealing it. It appears more and more frequently in some high-end decorations, which requires reservation and is not available in stock.

10. Glass bricks. The manufacturing process of glass bricks is basically the same as that of flat glass, but the difference is the molding method.

The middle is dry air. It is mostly used in decorative projects or light-transmitting shapes with thermal insulation requirements.

11. Cellophane. Also called glass film, it comes in a variety of colors and designs. Depending on the properties of the paper film, it has different properties. Most of them function as heat insulation, anti-infrared rays, anti-ultraviolet rays, and explosion-proof.

Composition classification

Glass is usually divided into oxide glass and non-oxide glass according to its main components. There are very few varieties and quantities of non-oxide glass, mainly chalcogenide glass and halide glass. The anions of chalcogenide glass are mostly sulfur, selenium, tellurium, etc., which can cut off short-wavelength light and pass yellow, red light, and near- and far-infrared light. It has low resistance and has switching and memory characteristics. Halide glass has low refractive index and low dispersion, and is often used as optical glass.

Oxide glass is divided into silicate glass, borate glass, phosphate glass, etc. Silicate glass refers to glass whose basic component is SiO2. It has many varieties and wide uses. Usually according to the different contents of SiO2 and alkali metal and alkaline earth metal oxides in the glass, it is divided into:

①Quartz glass.

SiO2 content is greater than 99.5%, low thermal expansion coefficient, high temperature resistance, good chemical stability, transparent to ultraviolet and infrared light, high melting temperature, high viscosity, and difficult to form. It is mostly used in semiconductors, electric light sources, optical communications, lasers and other technologies and optical instruments.

②High silica glass. The SiO2 content is about 96%, and its properties are similar to quartz glass.

③Soda-lime glass. Mainly based on SiO2 content, it also contains 15% Na2O and 16% CaO. It is low cost, easy to form, and suitable for large-scale production. Its output accounts for 90% of practical glass. It can produce glass bottles, flat glass, utensils, light bulbs, etc.

④ Lead silicate glass. The main components are SiO2 and PbO. It has unique high refractive index and high volume resistance, and has good wettability with metals. It can be used to manufacture light bulbs, vacuum tube stems, crystalline glassware, flint optical glass, etc. Lead glass containing large amounts of PbO can block X-rays and gamma rays.

⑤Aluminosilicate glass. With SiO2 and Al2O3 as the main components, it has a high softening deformation temperature and is used to make discharge bulbs, high-temperature glass thermometers, chemical combustion tubes and glass fibers, etc.

⑥Borosilicate glass. With SiO2 and B2O3 as the main components, it has good heat resistance and chemical stability and is used to make cooking utensils, laboratory instruments, metal welding glass, etc. Borate glass contains B2O3 as its main component, has a low melting temperature and is resistant to sodium vapor corrosion. Borate glass containing rare earth elements has a high refractive index and low dispersion. It is a new type of optical glass. Phosphate glass contains P2O5 as its main component, has low refractive index and low dispersion, and is used in optical instruments.

(1) Ordinary glass (Na2SiO3, CaSiO3, SiO2 or Na2O·CaO·6SiO2)

(2) Quartz glass (glass made of pure quartz as the main raw material, The composition is only SiO2)

(3) Tempered glass (same composition as ordinary glass)

(4) Potassium glass (K2O, CaO, SiO2)

(5) Borate glass (SiO2, B2O3)

(6) Colored glass (some metal oxides are added during the manufacturing process of ordinary glass. Cu2O - red; CuO - blue-green; CdO - —Light yellow; CO2O3—blue; Ni2O3—dark green; MnO2—purple; colloidal Au—red; colloidal Ag—yellow)

(7) Color-changing glass (made of rare earth elements) Advanced colored glass with oxides as colorants)

(8) Optical glass (add a small amount of light-sensitive substances, such as AgCl, AgBr, etc., to ordinary borosilicate glass raw materials, and then add extremely A small amount of sensitizer, such as CuO, etc., makes the glass more sensitive to light)

(9) Rainbow glass (adding a large amount of fluoride, a small amount of sensitizer and bromide to ordinary glass raw materials Made)

(10) Protective glass (appropriate auxiliary materials are added to the ordinary glass manufacturing process to prevent the penetration of strong light, strong heat or radiation and protect personal safety. Such as gray - —Dichromate, iron oxide absorbs ultraviolet rays and part of visible light; blue-green — nickel oxide, ferrous oxide absorbs infrared rays and part of visible light; lead glass — lead oxide absorbs X-rays and r-rays; dark blue — heavy chromium Salts, ferrous oxide, and iron oxide absorb ultraviolet, infrared, and most visible light; cadmium oxide and boron oxide are added to absorb neutron flow.

(11) Crystallized glass (also called crystallized glass or glass ceramics). , made by adding gold, silver, copper and other crystal nuclei to ordinary glass, instead of stainless steel and gemstones, for radomes and missile heads)

(12) Glass fiber (pulled or drawn from molten glass). Blown fibers with a diameter of several micrometers to several thousand micrometers, the composition is the same as glass)

(13) Glass filament (i.e. long glass fiber)

(14) FRP (made of rings Reinforced plastic with strength similar to steel obtained by combining oxygen resin and glass fiber)

(15) Cellophane (transparent cellulose film made from viscose solution)

(16 ) Aqueous solution of water glass (Na2SiO3), named after some of the same ingredients as ordinary glass)

(17) Metallic glass (glassy metal, generally produced by rapid cooling of molten metal) < /p>

(18) Fluorite (fluorspar) (colorless and transparent CaF2, used as prisms and transmitting lenses in optical instruments)

Performance classification

In addition, glass is divided according to its performance characteristics: tempered glass, porous glass (i.e., foam glass, pore size is about 40, used for seawater desalination, virus filtration, etc.), conductive glass (used as electrodes and aircraft windshields), crystallized glass , opal glass (used for lighting devices and decorative items, etc.) and insulated glass (used for door and window glass), etc.

[Edit this paragraph] Use of glass

1. During transportation, be sure to fix it and add soft protective pads. It is generally recommended to use the upright method for transportation.

Vehicles should also be driven at a steady and medium to slow speed.

2. If the other side of the glass installation is closed, be sure to clean the surface before installation. It is best to use a special glass cleaner, and wait until it is completely dry to confirm that there are no stains before installation. It is best to use clean construction gloves when installing.

3. When installing glass, silicone sealant must be used to fix it. In the installation of windows, it also needs to be used in conjunction with rubber sealing strips.

4. After the construction is completed, pay attention to affixing anti-collision warning signs. Generally, stickers, colored electrical tape, etc. can be used to provide reminders.

[Edit this paragraph] The craftsmanship of glass

In the past half century, glass art design has penetrated into people's lives with unprecedented depth and breadth. The simultaneous use of different types of glass and production techniques in modeling is far greater than at any time in the history of glass development. Among them, graphic art glass, as an important branch in the field of glass plastic arts, shines in the field of contemporary glass art design and has become a unique medium for artists and designers to create art.

The characteristics of glass determine that it can be processed in a variety of ways to form rich shapes. The main raw materials for glass production include glass formers, glass modifiers and glass intermediates, and the rest are auxiliary raw materials. The main raw materials refer to the oxides, intermediate oxides and extra-network oxides introduced into the glass to form a network; the auxiliary raw materials include clarifiers, fluxes, opacifying agents, colorants, decolorizing agents, oxidants and reducing agents, etc.

The glass production process mainly includes: ① Raw material preprocessing. Crush the lumpy raw materials to dry the wet raw materials, and remove iron from the iron-containing raw materials to ensure the quality of the glass. ②Batch preparation. ③ Melting. The glass batch materials are heated to high temperature in a tank kiln or crucible kiln to form a uniform, bubble-free liquid glass that meets the molding requirements. ④Molding. Process liquid glass into products of required shapes, such as flat plates, various utensils, etc. ⑤Heat treatment. Through annealing, quenching and other processes, the stress, phase separation or crystallization inside the glass is eliminated or generated, and the structural state of the glass is changed.

Special glass production

1. A colorless transparent glass with anti-ultraviolet radiation function

2. Green glass that strongly absorbs ultraviolet and infrared

3. Dental glass-ceramics and its preparation method and use

4. Low-emissivity hollow mosaic glass

5. Production of low-porosity glass-ceramics Method

6. Self-cleaning glass

7. Glass coated with colored multi-layer films and its production method

8. A new process for manufacturing vacuum glass

9. Float production method and device for patterned glass

10. Fire-resistant glass

11. Preparation process of glass-ceramic glazed tiles

12. A low-temperature preparation method of nano-titanium dioxide self-cleaning glass

13. Nano-vacuum coated rainbow glass

14. Color slurry formula for producing laminated colored safety glass and Production process

15. Manufacturing method of heat-resistant and fire-resistant super-strength tempered safety glass plate

[Edit this paragraph] Characteristics of glass

Why is glass transparent? ?

An important reason: no matter how solid the substance is, if you look at it from the inside of the atom, it is actually empty. Because inside an atom, the combined volume of the nucleus and electrons is less than one-hundredth of a billionth of the volume of the atom. Moreover, there is no evidence that the nucleus and electrons cannot be penetrated by photons! Therefore, transparency is normal!

To understand this complex problem, we must first understand the following question: Why are some substances opaque?

For opaque substances, we can divide them into four major categories:

1. Opacity caused by the blocking effect of free electrons: This is the reason why metals are opaque.

2. Opacity caused by substances that can absorb light: The excitation energy of electrons in the molecules of this type of substance is relatively low, just within the visible light range, and the molecules often contain benzene rings, benzoquinones, benzidines or The structure of other ***yoke systems can reduce the excitation energy of electrons, making it easy for electrons to transition and absorb the energy of photons. This way the light is absorbed.

3. Opacity caused by the destruction of the structure of transparent substances. For example, glass is transparent, but glass powder is opaque; ice is transparent, but ice becomes opaque when it is smashed. If the structural characteristics of a substance do not conform to 1 and 2, then it can pass light, but if there are many small gaps in its structure, then it is white. This is why white objects are opaque.

4. The result of a mixture of reasons 1, 2, and 3. The opacity of many objects in reality is caused by this reason.

If a substance has neither free electrons nor easily excited electrons in its structure, and the structure of the substance is very tight, without many pores and other conditions. Then the material can pass through photons, that is, it is transparent.

So the glass is transparent!

[Edit this paragraph] Glass purchase

Characteristics and applications of decorative glass

1. High-grade silver mirror glass. High-grade silver mirror glass is made by using modern advanced mirror-making technology, selecting special-grade float glass as the original piece, and going through a series of processes such as sensitization, silver plating, copper plating, and protective paint coating. It is characterized by pure imaging, high reflectivity, good color restoration, bright and natural images, and durability even in humid environments. It is a replacement product for aluminum mirrors, and its use range extends beyond aluminum mirror products.

2. Color printed glass. It is the product of the application of photography, printing and reproduction technology on glass.

3. Colored glazed tempered glass. Glazed tempered glass is made by printing glass glaze on the surface of the glass through a special process, and then drying and tempering it. The colored glaze is permanently sintered on the glass surface. It has the advantages of acid and alkali resistance, corrosion resistance, never fade, safety and high strength, and has the characteristics of reflection and non-see-through.

4. Stained glass. Stained glass is a high-end glass variety that is widely used. It is made by using special pigments to directly ink on the glass, or spray-carving various patterns on the glass and adding colors. It can realistically replicate the original painting, and the film has strong adhesion, good weather resistance, and can be scrubbed . According to the needs of indoor chroma, stained glass can be used to integrate painting, color and lighting. For example, copying landscapes, landscapes, coastal jungle paintings, etc. are used in the entrance hall and central hall to bring the vitality and vitality of nature into the room.

6. Sandblasted glass. Sandblasted glass includes patterned glass and sand-engraved glass. It is a glass product that is processed into horizontal or concave patterns on glass by an automatic horizontal sandblasting machine or a vertical sandblasting machine.

Characteristics and uses of flat glass

Flat glass is a traditional glass product, mainly used for doors and windows, which plays the role of light transmission, wind protection and heat preservation. It is required to be colorless, with good transparency and smooth surface without defects.

The thickness of flat glass is divided into 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, and 6 mm. The single-piece specifications are 300 mm × 900 mm, 400 mm × 1600 mm and 600 mm × 2200 mm. Several species. Its visible light reflectance is about 7%, and its light transmittance is between 82% and 90%.

Characteristics and uses of patterned glass

Patterned glass, also known as patterned glass and tumbled glass, is mainly used for doors, windows, indoor partitions, bathrooms and toilets, etc.

There are patterns on the surface of embossed glass, which can transmit light, but can block the line of sight. That is, it has the characteristics of light transmission and opacity, and has excellent decorative effect.

The perspective of patterned glass varies with distance and pattern. The perspective can be divided into: nearly transparent and visible, slightly transparent and visible, almost invisible and completely invisible. Its types are divided into: embossed glass, embossed vacuum aluminized glass, three-dimensional embossed glass, color film embossed glass, etc. Thickness is 3~5 mm. It has many specifications, including diamond embossing and square embossing. When installing, the pattern surface faces inward to prevent dirt.

Characteristics and uses of insulating glass

Insulating glass is composed of two or more layers of ordinary flat glass. Use high-strength, high-airtight, high-strength composite adhesive all around to bond and seal two or more pieces of glass with sealing strips and glass strips. Dry gas is filled in the middle, and desiccant is filled in the frame to ensure that the space between the glass pieces is The dryness of the air. Its characteristics are that it has good thermal insulation, heat insulation, sound insulation and other properties because it leaves a certain cavity. Mainly used for outer glass decoration of heating, air conditioning, and noise reduction facilities. Its optical properties, thermal conductivity and sound insulation coefficient should all comply with national standards.

Characteristics and uses of tempered glass

Tempered glass is also called strengthened glass. It is glass that is heated to a certain temperature and then quickly cooled, or is specially treated with chemical methods. It is characterized by high strength, and its bending strength and impact resistance are 3 to 5 times higher than ordinary flat glass. It has good safety performance, has uniform internal stress, and has network cracks after being broken. Mainly used for doors, windows, partition walls and cabinet doors. Tempered glass is also acid and alkali resistant. The general thickness is 2-5 mm. Its specifications are 400mmX900mm, 500mmX1200mm.

Characteristics and uses of wired glass

Wired glass is also called shatterproof glass. It is made by heating ordinary flat glass to a red-hot softened state, and then pressing preheated iron wire or wire mesh into the middle of the glass. Its characteristics are excellent fire resistance, it can block flames, it will not explode when burned at high temperatures, and it will not cause fragments to hurt people when broken. In addition, it also has anti-theft properties, and the barbed wire will stop the glass from being cut. Mainly used for roof skylights and balcony windows.

Characteristics and uses of high-performance insulating glass

In addition to sealing dry air between the two layers of glass, high-performance insulating glass also needs to be coated with air on the middle air layer side of the outer glass. A special metal film with good thermal properties, which can block the energy of the sun's ultraviolet rays entering the room. Its characteristics are good energy saving effect, heat insulation, heat preservation, and improvement of indoor environment. The appearance is available in eight colors and has excellent decorative art value. Glass mosaic properties and uses.

Glass mosaics are also called glass mosaics or cellophane tiles. It is a small size colored decorative glass.

The general specifications are 20mm×20mm, 30mm×30mm, and 40mm×40mm. Thickness is 4-6 mm. Small pieces of glass inlaid material of various colors. The appearance is colorless and transparent, colored and transparent, translucent, with gold or silver spots, patterns or stripes. The front side is glossy, smooth and delicate; the back side has rough grooves to facilitate pasting with mortar. The characteristics are: soft tones, simple, elegant, beautiful, chemically stable, and good hot and cold stability. It also has the characteristics of no discoloration, no dust accumulation, light weight, and strong bonding. It is mostly used for indoor parts and balcony exterior decoration. Its compressive strength, tensile strength, blooming temperature, water resistance, and acid resistance should all comply with national standards.

Characteristics and uses of laminated glass

Laminated glass is a type of safety glass. It is a flat or curved composite glass product made by inserting transparent plastic sheets between two or more pieces of flat glass and then bonding them by hot pressing. Its main feature is good safety. When it is broken, the glass fragments will not scatter and scatter, but will only produce radial cracks and will not hurt people. The impact strength is better than ordinary flat glass and has good anti-fragment properties. It also has special functions such as light resistance, heat resistance, moisture resistance, cold resistance, and sound insulation. Mostly used for doors and windows that border the outdoors. The thickness of laminated glass is generally 6-10 mm, and the specifications are 800 mmX1000 mm and 850 mmX1800 mm.

[Edit this paragraph] The future development of glass

Glass that is warm in winter and cool in summer

We may have all had this experience: in the hot summer, due to The blocking of glass windows makes people feel like they are stuck in a steamer, and the hot and strong light shining into the room makes people feel as if they are trapped in a steamer, feeling upset and dry. In the freezing cold, the glass windows are like a thick wall, blocking the warm sunlight from outside, making people feel indoors. Extremely cold. Although the emergence of air conditioning has freed people from the sweltering heat and severe cold, it has added a heavy burden to the already scarce power resources in modern cities, and the red alarm of power crisis is ringing sharply in people's ears. Can we invent a new product that not only makes people's lives warm and comfortable, but also saves energy? Scientists have brought good news: British scientists have invented a glass that can act as an air conditioner. It can balance the temperature and make people feel warm in winter and cool in summer indoors.

Why does this kind of glass have such magical powers? According to scientists, its peculiarity lies in the fact that its surface is coated with an ultra-thin layer of material - a mixture of vanadium dioxide and tungsten. When the weather is cold, vanadium dioxide can absorb infrared rays and produce a warming effect, thereby raising the indoor temperature; on the contrary, when the temperature outside the window is too high, the molecules of the two substances bonded together change accordingly and reflect infrared rays, thus causing the temperature to rise. The indoor temperature becomes cooler. In this mysterious coating, the most "intelligent" core is the 2% tungsten contained in it, which can determine whether vanadium dioxide absorbs or dissipates heat.

Speaking of which, maybe you are going to be fascinated by this magical glass, but it still has some technical "flaws", and there is a thin yellow-brown layer on its surface that looks dirty. , seriously affecting its appearance. How to neutralize this color and make it clean is a difficult problem before people. However, scientists are optimistic about this. They predict that this kind of glass will be available on the market in five years, and the price will not be much higher than existing ordinary glass.

Self-cleaning glass

Things will become stained with dust after being used for a long time, even smooth glass is no exception. Over time, it also needs people to clean it. It is not difficult to wash and wipe small glassware when it is dirty, but wiping exterior window glass is a troublesome chore. Especially for large pieces of glass in high-rise buildings, you may have to let the aerial "Spider-Man" of a professional cleaning company do the cleaning, which is cumbersome and dangerous. However, in the near future, you can put aside all the inconvenience and danger of wiping glass windows, because American scientists have developed a special glass called "Lotus" that can clean itself with the help of the power of nature.

The reason why "Lotus" can "bath and purify" yourself is that it is fired using a special technology and adding special ingredients. Once dirt adheres to the "Lotus", its surface will generate electron-hole pairs with strong oxidizing ability under the action of sunlight. Immediately afterwards, the electron-hole pairs interact with oxygen and water molecules in the air to produce negative oxygen ions and hydroxyl radicals. In a strong redox reaction, "Lotus" decomposes various organic matter attached to its surface into water and carbon dioxide. Finally, the "Lotus" was baptized by rain, washing away the remaining dirt that fell off its surface, and its clean appearance shone again.

Some people may worry that due to the continuous intense redox reaction, the special substances on the surface of the "Lotus" will gradually disappear, and whether it will turn back into ordinary glass by then. For this reason, scientific researchers explained that this special substance only plays a catalytic role in the entire self-cleaning process and does not lose itself. The coat covered by the "lotus" will never fade.

Glass that doesn’t stick to water. We just talked about the self-cleaning glass “lotus”. Now let’s get to know a kind of glass that doesn’t stick to water like a lotus leaf.

Speaking of lotus leaves, we may all be familiar with them. In summer, it is like a green arrow, standing straight out of the water; it is also like a graceful Lingbo fairy, dancing with the breeze.

However, have you noticed that the lotus leaf does not stick to any water? Any water droplets that fall on the lotus leaf will slide down along its smooth leaf surface. This is what people often call the "lotus leaf effect". However, this effect does not work on glass as smooth as a lotus leaf. If there is dust on ordinary glass, when water flows through it, the dust will absorb these water droplets, and the glass surface will be covered with water droplets. This is why the glass windows are blurred when it rains. Recently, people have finally invented a kind of glass that does not stick to water, and the glass can finally produce the "lotus leaf effect."

The structure of the magical non-stick glass is not much different from ordinary glass, except that there is an extra layer of high-tech nano-coating on the surface. Don't underestimate this thin layer of nano-coating. It is a mixture of nano-silica, titanium phosphate compound, and tin oxide. It has the characteristics of super hydrophilic, anti-static, anti-fog, and anti-condensation. The super hydrophilic property is the most incredible. Water will always flow close to the glass surface, and when it encounters dust, it will take the dust away with it, making the entire glass surface water-free.

This kind of glass has a wide range of uses and brings many conveniences to people's daily lives. For example, drivers no longer have to worry about rainy days, because no matter how heavy the rain outside the car window is, the rain will flow down the glass without hindering people's front sight at all. Maybe when water-resistant glass comes on the market, wipers will be completely eliminated.