18th- and 19th-Century Scottish Laboratory Glass: Assessment of Chemical Composition in Relation to Form and Function
JOURNAL OF GLASS STUDIES(2018)
Abstract
Glassware used in the laboratories at the University of Edinburgh in the 18th and 19th centuries was analyzed using portable X-ray fluorescence. The samples came from two sources: the Playfair Collection, an assortment of vessels and equipment currently in the care of the National Museums Scotland, and excavations at the university's Old College Quadrangle. A high degree of commonality was observed between the Playfair and quadrangle samples. High-lead glasses contained over 30-percent lead oxide, along with small amounts of arsenic and potassium. High calcium glasses contained over 20-percent calcium, alongside magnesium, aluminum, strontium, iron, titanium, and sulfur. Moderate-lead glasses contained less than 25-percent lead and also strontium and iron, which were not observed in the high-lead glasses, indicating that cullet from another glass type may have been used in their manufacture. High levels of lead were found in items that require thermal stability and a high degree of transparency. High levels of calcium were seen in vessels that may have been used to hold and store chemicals, requiring a high degree of chemical stability. These items suggest that Scottish glassmakers were capable of producing high-quality items of a relatively uncommon nature, using unusual ingredients in the melt.
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Key words
glass,chemical composition,laboratory,th-century
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