Origins of Glass: Myth and Known History

Abstract

Glass production is thought to date to*2500 BCE and glass had found numerous uses by the height of the Roman Empire. The modern application of glass to chemical apparatus (beakers, flasks, stills, etc.) was quite limited, however, due to a lack of glass durability under both rapid temperature changes and chemical attack. In the mid-1200s, this began to change as the glassmakers of Venice and Murano began blending previous Roman methods with raw materials from the Levant, as well as developing pretreatment and purification methods of the raw materials used. The combination of these practices resulted in a new glass with a strength and high melting point suitable for use in chemical apparatus. The ability to produce vessels from glass allowed much greater freedom and versatility in the design of laboratory glassware. The resulting improved glass technology led to the invention of eyeglasses, significantly extending the intellectual lifespan of the average scholar. In addition, the freedom of design provided by glass resulted in a vast improvement in still design, which in turn allowed the isolation of important species such as alcohol and the mineral acids. This text provides an overview of the history and chemistry of glass technology from its origins in antiquity to its dramatic expansion in the thirteenth century, then concluding with its impact on society in general, particularly its effect on chemical practices.