Raw materials for the glass industry

Abstract

Approximately three millions of tonnes of glass are produced each year in the United Kingdom, 21 million tonnes in the European Union altogether, of which approximately 66% is made as containers and 22% produced as flat or window glass. The USA produces approximately 15 million tonnes of glass annually and Japan 13 million tonnes. The world leader in flat glass production is the British company Pilkingtons of St Helens, which was responsible for invention of the float glass process described below. In addition to glass appropriate for the mass markets of windows and containers, there are several specialist glasses designed for specific purposes. Perhaps the most commonly encountered of these are glasses which are resistant to thermal stress, and which are found in the domestic kitchen in cooking utensils and hobs. Glass manufacture is presently a sophisticated business, with many new opportunities for a material with a long history which is widely taken for granted.