Glass is a fascinating medium that opens up endless creative possibilities. This blog post discusses two popular types of glass, soft glass and borosilicate glass, and how they are used in the arts.

Soft glass is celebrated for its brilliant colors and flexibility, making it perfect for beautiful glass mosaics and delicate glass ornaments. In contrast, borosilicate glass is renowned for its durability and thermal resistance, making it ideal for artistic flameworking and robust glassware. In this blog post, we’ll explore these two types of glass and their unique applications in the art world, highlighting the creativity they inspire.

Two Types of Glass:
Soft Glass vs. Borosilicate

Understanding the significance of glass art requires exploring its material science, particularly the differences between borosilicate and soda-lime-silica glass. Their compositional differences influence their practical uses and the artistic techniques applicable to each type of glass.

Soft Glass

The most common type of glass is soft glass, also known as soda-lime-silicate glass, which consists of about 70-74% silica (SiO₂), 12-16% soda (Na₂O), and 5-10% lime (CaO). This composition makes it relatively easy to melt and shape. Due to its ease of production and versatility, this glass is widely used to produce windows, bottles, and everyday glassware. This type of glass is transparent, chemically stable, and relatively rigid, making it ideal for various functional and decorative purposes. The science behind soda-lime-silica glass involves controlling its thermal and chemical properties to produce materials that can withstand everyday use while maintaining clarity and strength. However, soda-lime-silicate glass is prone to thermal shock and chemical instability, limiting its use in high-temperature or chemically reactive environments.

The Science Behind Soft Glass

Soda-lime-silica glass is pretty amazing, thanks to a few key qualities that make it incredibly useful. First off, its transparency lets light pass through almost perfectly, so it's great for things like windows and bottles. It's also pretty tough, resisting scratches and wear, and it's durable against water and most chemicals, meaning it lasts a long time.

The magic of soda-lime-silica glass comes down to three main ingredients:

Formers: These are the main building blocks that give the glass its structure. The primary former is silica (SiO₂).
Fluxes: These lower the melting point of silica, making the glass easier to work with. They also make the molten glass less thick, so it can be shaped at lower temperatures. Soda (Na₂O) is the key flux in this type of glass.
Stabilizers: These boost the glass's durability and strength, keep it from dissolving in water, and improve its overall stability. Lime (CaO) is the main stabilizer.

The science behind soda-lime-silica glass is all about getting the right balance of these ingredients. This balance gives the glass its awesome properties: transparency, strength, and versatility. That's why we use it in so many everyday and industrial applications. Its unique chemistry and structure make it a staple in modern life.

Modern Functional use of Soft Glass

The Image of the Glass House at Chihuly Garden and Glass showcases soft glass's practical and artistic functions.

You'll find Soda-lime-silica glass everywhere, from windows and glass panels to bottles and containers. It's the go-to material for making drinking glasses, plates, bowls, and other tableware since it's smooth, easy to clean, and scratch-resistant, perfect for daily use in homes and restaurants. This type of glass is also key for windows, lighting fixtures, and decorative lights. It’s used to make glass fibers for fiberglass, which is great for insulation, reinforcing plastics, and other industrial uses because it's strong and insulates well.

Overall, soda-lime-silica glass is indispensable in modern life, striking a perfect balance between functionality, affordability, and versatility for a wide range of uses, and a fun material to experiment with!

The Prince Rupert’s Drop

Watch this video to learn more about Soda-lime glass's chemical properties. This popular glass experiment involves making a teardrop-shaped object by dripping molten glass into cold water. This rapid cooling process gives it remarkable properties!

side note: the guy in this video is hilarious; enjoy the laugh, too!

Borosilicate Glass

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was demand for glass that could handle high temperatures and sudden changes without breaking.

Enter Otto Schott, a German chemist who, in the 1880s, invented borosilicate glass by adding boron oxide to the glass mix.

This new glass was tougher and could withstand rapid temperature changes, making it perfect for lab equipment, cookware, and high-quality art pieces. Building on Schott's work, Corning Glass Works created their own version called "Pyrex" in 1915. Originally made for labs and industrial use, Pyrex quickly became popular in kitchens for its durability and resistance to thermal shock.

The Science Behind Borosilicate Glass

Borosilicate glass stands out because of its unique makeup. By adding boron oxide to the usual silica mix, the glass gains several key benefits:

Thermal Resistance: It can handle quick temperature changes without cracking, so you can pour hot coffee into it without worrying
Chemical Durability: It resists chemical corrosion, making it ideal for scientific labs.
Strength and Durability: Its robust structure makes it stronger and more durable than many other types of glass.

Modern Functional Use of Borosilicate Glass

In the 1990s, borosilicate glass found a new use in making functional pipes. Its ability to withstand repeated heating and cooling without cracking made it perfect for smoking devices. Today, artists love borosilicate glass because they can create intricate, visually stunning, functional, and beautiful pieces. This is called flameworking, lampworking, or torchworking.

Additionally, the "Pyrex" brand is now a highly popular kitchen essential due to its durability and resistance to thermal shock. Overall, borosilicate glass has become a vital part of both everyday and specialized uses thanks to its durability, versatility, and unique properties.

This durable and heat-resistant material allows artisans to sculpt unique designs that showcase their skill and enhance the smoking experience. Crafting a glass pipe from borosilicate glass is an art form that blends precision with creativity. Each piece, whether sleek and minimalist or intricately detailed, embodies both functionality and aesthetic appeal, making borosilicate glass pipes a favorite among connoisseurs and collectors alike.

Check out the video below to see a glass pipe made from start to finish!

Conclusion

These two different types of glass are essential to the art world, providing unique features that inspire creativity. From the clarity and practicality of soda-lime glass to the functionality and durability of borosilicate glass, each variety adds to artistic expression. Whether in fine art or functional pieces, knowing these materials helps artists explore new ideas. As we experiment with glass, we can expect to see even more beautiful creations that showcase its versatility.

To learn more, check out the resources below. Thank you for reading!

Resources

Further Reading:

Ding, C., & Peng, X. (2023). Advanced Borosilicate Glasses: Composition, Properties, and Applications. Springer.
Giberson, D. F., Jr. (2000). A Glassblowers Companion: A Compilation of Studio Equipment Designs, Essays, and Glassmaking Ideas. Joppa Glassworks.
Halem, H. (2006). Glass Notes: A Reference for the Glass Artist (Version 4.0). Chilton Book Company.

Watch Endless Videos and Demonstrations of glass artists at work on the Corning Museum of Glass Youtube Channel

Exploring the Diversity of Glass and Its Role in Art

Glass is a fascinating medium that opens up endless creative possibilities. This blog post discusses two popular types of glass, soft glass and borosilicate glass, and how they are used in the arts.

Two Types of Glass:
Soft Glass vs. Borosilicate