Glass is one of the most ancient substances and materials in history. Its properties are very diverse, therefore glass is a universal material in human life.
Material history
Originally, glass was considered a well-known glass-making product, which is now called silicate glass. However, after scientists established the identity of the structure of glass, its composition and properties, all other minerals began to be classified as varieties of a natural analogue. For example, derivatives of the already cooled lava that did not have time to crystallize began to be called volcanic glass.
Meteorite glass was considered to be glass that was formed as a result of the impact of a space body on the earth's rock. Fulgurites formed from silicate deposits have become a special class. If the mineral was formed as a result of a lightning strike under a high discharge, as a rule, on the tops of mountains, then these are clastofulgurites.
The main reason for creating a synthetic substitute, that is, organic glass, was the lack of materials at the beginning of the last century that would be suitable for creating aircraft structures. This polymer, which belongs to the class of organic substances, came to be named exclusively because of its similar physical properties: it is a transparent or colored substance.
Glass properties
Glass is an inorganic isotropic substance that has been used since ancient times. Glass can exist both in natural form and in the form of a mineral. Glass is also an amorphous substance, which in aggregate belongs to the category of solids. In human practice, there are many modifications of glass, which imply different composition, structure, chemical and physical properties.
Glass, regardless of its chemical composition and temperature ranges of solidification, has all the physical and chemical properties of solids. At the same time, it can retain the ability of reversibility of transitions from liquid to glassy states. Therefore, in the expanded meaning, all substances belong to this class, based on the process of formation and formal properties.
The initially present properties of glass include transparency, reflectivity, resistance to any aggressive media, beauty, and much more. Its synthesized qualities include, for example, strength, heat resistance, bioactivity, and controlled electrical conductivity. According to these properties, glass is used in various spheres of human life.
