Glass Packaging

About Glass Packaging

Glass is the preferred packaging material. It is also used in pharmaceutical industry because it possesses superior protective qualities. Glass containers are readily available in a variety of sizes and shapes. It is an amorphous, hard, brittle, transparent or translucent. having no definite melting point obtained by fusing a mixture of several metallic silicates or borates of sodium, potassium, calcium and lead.

Uses

  • Packaging (jars for food, bottles for drinks, flacon for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals)
  • Tableware (drinking glasses, plate, cups, bowls)
  • Housing and buildings (windows, facades, conservatory, insulation, reinforcement
    structures)

Properties

  • Amorphous
  • Brittle (easily breakable).
  • Transparent or translucent.
  • Good electrical insulator.
  • Unaffected by air, water, acid or chemical reagents.
  • No definite crystal structure means it has high compressive strength.
  • Can absorb, transmit and reflect light

Advantages

  • Transparent
  • Chemically inert
  • Impermeable
  • Chemically resistant
  • Easily sterilized
  • Resistant to internal pressure and compression
  • Widely accepted
  • Reusable
  • Good quality image

Disadvantages

  • Fragile
  • Not resistant to temperature change
  • Heavy
  • They may crack when subjected to sudden changes in temperature.
  • Expensive in comparison to plastic.
  • Transportation cost is high because of its heavy weight.
  • Less pressure safety and impact resistance.
  • Special care and protection is required for transportation of glass containing formulations.
  • Certain types of glasses release alkali into the container contents.

Manufacturers