History of silica glass: chemical and technological aspects

Journal title RENDICONTI
Author/s Rinaldo Psaro
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/2
Language Italian Pages 30 P. 171-200 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/rndoa2025oa21164
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– Glass is one of the most revolutionary materials in history, with an extraordinary impact on the development of society, science and technology. From its discovery to the present day, it has transformed human life in numerous areas. This article tells the story of the discovery and technological development in the ancient era of silica glass. From its origins to the innovation of the blowpipe, an epoch-making breakthrough in glass production, which transformed this material from a rare and expensive to a widely consumed commodity. This innovation, probably developed in the 1st century BC, revolutionised glassmaking and accelerated its spread in the Roman Empire. An extraordinary example of this technological evolution is the Lycurgus Cup, made by Roman glassmakers in the 4th century AD, which represents one of the first ante litteram nanotechnological applications.

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Rinaldo Psaro, Storia del vetro siliceo: aspetti chimici e tecnologici in "RENDICONTI" 2/2025, pp 171-200, DOI: 10.3280/rndoa2025oa21164