Different Types of Glass Bottles
time2022/05/06
- Glass is one of the most useful materials used in the packaging industry today. It is considered the most environmentally friendly packaging material because it can be recycled again and again without losing quality. In this article, we will discuss the different glass bottle types.
Glass is one of the most useful materials used in the packaging industry today. It is considered the most environmentally friendly packaging material because it can be recycled again and again without losing quality. In this article, we will discuss the different glass bottle types.
But, before we get into the glass manufacturing process, let's first understand the 3 most commonly used glass manufacturing terms in the container production industry in the next section.
Glass manufacturing terminology
The 3 most popular terms in glass manufacturing are gob, parison, and glass batch.
Gob
Gobs refer to cylinders or blocks of molten glass. Once the glass reaches a certain temperature during the manufacturing process, it is cut and shaped into small pieces using shear blades. They are also called glass blocks.
Parison
The formation of parisons comes next after the gobs are made. The molten gob is sent to a parison mold, also known as a "blank," to produce glass bottle preforms. Simply put, a parison is a partially formed glass jar or bottle with a finished neck.
Glass batch
Glass furnishes are mixtures of raw materials required to make glass that has not yet been melted. It is heated, melted, and cooled to make glass.
What are glass bottles made of?
Modern glass bottles and jars are made from the following materials:
Baking soda
Silica sand
Limestone
Alumina
Magnesium oxide
Broken glass
Purer silica sand means lower iron content for better color control in glass bottles. The purpose of limestone is to lower the melting temperature of the raw material mixture. Alumina and magnesia are also often added for better durability.
Finally, a cullet (recycled and cullet) is a very important raw material in glass manufacturing, helping to minimize the energy and raw materials needed to make new glass containers.
The cullet has the same material composition as the glass batch. It is added to the mixture because its melting properties in the furnace help to accelerate the conversion of the glass batch into gobs.
Crushed glass is an energy-efficient material that not only reduces the energy required to melt glass batches, but also helps reduce the glass's carbon footprint. Glass batches can consist of 25% to 60% cullet, and the glass containers produced typically contain 70% to 74% by weight silica sand.
Different types of glass bottles
The last topic we want to discuss is the different types of glass bottles.
Flint glass
This glass is transparent and colorless. It absorbs most UV light but very little visible light.
Frosted glass
Treating glass of any color will form frosted glass. The treatment process gives the glass a different feel and appearance.
Cobalt
Cobalt glass bottles are blue due to the addition of cobalt oxide. It provides moderate light protection.
Green
Green bottles are made by adding copper, chromium, or iron to a molten mixture of raw materials. Chromium oxide produces emerald to yellow-green glass bottles. Teal glass is made by mixing chrome (green) and cobalt (blue).
Amber
This is a brown glass that can be produced by adding carbon, sulfur, and nickel to the mixture. It absorbs most radiation at wavelengths below 450nm and therefore provides protection from UV radiation which is vital to medicines and beer.
Black
Black glass bottles are usually produced with high concentrations of iron, but may also contain other additives such as magnesium oxide, carbon, copper, and iron.
Purple
Purple glass bottles and jars and red and amethyst glass containers are often made with manganese or nickel oxides.
Blue
Copper and cobalt oxide are common additives for making blue glass bottles.
Opaque
Opaque or milk glass is sometimes called white or opal glass. It is produced by adding calcium, phosphate, fluoride, zinc oxide, and tin.
Aquamarine
The color of the aquamarine glass container is created by the natural iron in the sand or by adding iron to the mix. The amount of oxygen can be reduced or increased during melting to produce a greener or blue-green color.
Above we discussed different types of glass bottles, etc. If you want to buy glass bottles, please contact us.
Das is a custom glass container manufacturer with 25 years of experience. We can turn your creative ideas into real products, personalized and branded. Our goal is to provide one-stop world-class packaging solutions that exceed your expectations, with service second to none.