A survey of commercial soda–lime–silica glass compositions: Trends and opportunities I—Compositions, properties and theoretical energy requirements

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the compositions of commercial soda–lime–silica glasses currently present in the UK market, as there is a lack of recent research on the subject, with the most recent studies now being over 20 years old. This study involved sampling and analyzing the compositions of over 30 commercial soda–lime–silica container and float glass samples, primarily from the UK market, in 2022 to 2023. Based on the results, the characteristics of these commercial glasses has been evaluated using multiple property models and analysis methods. In the first part, we illustrated the opportunities for glass manufacturers to modify or adjust their glass compositions to enable lower melting temperatures, thereby reducing energy demand and fuel carbon emissions. This can help the glass industry meet its net zero carbon emissions targets. It de-risks compositional modifications for a glass manufacturer by highlighting that other manufacturers have already successfully commercially implemented such changes.