Description

Glass has a very long history spanning millennia and throughout the ages its unique combination of properties has made it one of the most useful class of materials known. This book covers an overview of a wide range of themes from within the general area of glass and glass-ceramic science and technology, from the ancient to the present to the foreseeable future, with each chapter covering a specific topic. It is aimed at scientific and technical staff working in the area of glass technology who wish to gain a greater appreciation of the diversity of materials and applications in this developing subject. It will also be of appeal to students in both the sciences and arts who have an interest in glass, and to a wider audience with a general interest in glass or environmental issues. A book of this nature cannot of course cover all aspects of glass science and technology in fine detail without running to several volumes. Consequently, some areas are covered in more detail than others, in line with the author’s extensive experience in those areas. The reader’s interest in any specific area may be followed up through the incorporation of a bibliography accompanying each chapter. The provision of a comprehensive bibliography makes the book a valuable reference source for all the major topics related to glass science and technology.