Be Glass: Production and Characterization of Glass Samples [NI-SERV-2020-39]
Connects present and past technologies for the production of glass that are now available for the community.
Service/Expertise Overview
VICARTE is equipped with gas furnace for glass melting, glory hole, annealing ovens, a bench work with torches, and all the tools needed for glass blowing and lampworking. Furnace for kiln casting and pâte de verre techniques. It is supported with the necessary means to manipulate the developed glasses, such as kilns, grinders, mills and cutting devices. It also offers the possibility to measure thermal properties as vitreous transition temperatures. VICARTE also has a laboratory for preparing silica-plaster molds for kiln casting and pâte de verre.
VICARTE laboratories can offer the following services:
- Scientific glass repair;
- Rental of: Glass blowing and Torch facilities, Kiln time, Annealer space; Studio space for mold production;
- Workshops on Glass production, glass treatment (cut and polishing), lampworking and glass-forming;
- Production of glass samples for scientific research and art applications;
- Workshop on producing mirrors by silvering glass;
- Workshop on producing yellow silver stained glass;
- Characterization of thermal properties of glass and ceramic materials by dilatometry analysis;
- Optical characterization of glass and ceramic materials by absorption/ transmission/ reflectance spectroscopy.
Our research group is an international reference in various research topics in the broad field of glass studies. These have resulted in innovative experimental methods of glass synthesis of historical compositions and new formulations using accurate raw materials and thermal processes. On-demand, unique produced samples are now available to scholars, artists and artisans and industry. These may be used for artistic or design applications, innovative artistic and industrial applications, or test conservation-restoration procedures.
Competitive advantages
VICARTE is designed to weave together diverse strands of expertise in glass and ceramic, to create a web of knowledge by connecting creative minds across disciplines, encouraging experimentation, risk taking and highly creative problem solving. All of these characteristics place VICARTE in a unique position in our country. VICARTE fosters an effective dialogue between art and science that is vital for applying the developed high technology in art and design.
VICARTE is the only national unit supported with the necessary means to prepare, manipulate and characterize common and novel glasses, being in a distinctive position to strongly contribute to the promotion of new glass materials, product design, artistic production, and glass and ceramic preservation.
Applications
Production of glass samples with unique characteristics for artistic, design or industrial applications. VICARTE also has the possibility to develop glass samples for conservation-restoration studies or procedures.
Further details
- https://ceramics.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijag.15793
- https://doi.org/10.1111/ijag.15611
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/90013827?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Research centre
VICARTE
