13: Glass Technology

Many elements of glass processing are similar regardless of the product, so that an understanding of the basics of glass formation, melting phenomena, and transformation range behavior are essential to the production of almost all commercial glass products. Other basic phenomena, such as nucleation and crystallization and phase separation, serve as the basis for production of specialized products. Understanding the relations between glass composition, thermal history, and handling and the properties of the glass is essential to the production of reproducible, high quality products with the exact properties desired for any given application.