Woody Paper, and Glass Transformed 193 



Dr. Taylor reminded us that "the seeds of glass technology 

 were sown 100 years ago, but were not developed until the 

 turn of the century. In its first use glass was an ornament," 

 he added. "Later it took on more utilitarian characteristics 

 and was made into window panes and bottles and applied to 

 optical use." 



We can see through a clear pane of glass, but we cannot 

 see it clearly enough to describe it accurately. We cannot see 

 its molecular structure even with the best microscope or X 

 ray. But we have, according to Dr. Taylor, been able to lay 

 the foundation of modern glass by working out the relation 

 of the physical properties of glass to its chemical composition. 

 Eighty of the ninety-two elements, he added, can be used in 

 the manufacture of glass, making possible a tremendous num- 

 ber of combinations. Glass research to date, he said, only has 

 scratched the surface of these. 



New Techniques in Glassmaking 



In making glass the basic ingredients silica (or sand), 

 limestone, and soda ash are carefully weighed out. Two 

 other substances generally are included in the mixture. They 

 are sodium sulphate, which refines the glass, and cullet (scrap 

 glass left over from a previous batch, which aids the melting) . 



The ingredients are put in huge clay pots and "baked" in 

 a high-temperature furnace. Then the molten glass is taken to 

 rollers, which flatten it out. When the glass is the proper 

 thickness it is moved along rollers through a tunnel the 

 annealing room where it is slowly cooled. The rough glass 

 then comes out and is ready for grinding and polishing opera- 

 tions, washing and drying, and final inspection before it is 

 shipped. 



Just as in the making of special alloy steels, glass manufac- 

 turers can produce many types of glass by varying the num- 



