[ARC5] An Interesting Failure Mode

[Richard Knoppow]

     The history of glass is very interesting. I am particularly 
interested in optical glass, there is a fair amount of history about it 
on the web, I will see if I can find links. Before WW-1 the manufacture 
of optical glass was confined almost entirely to Europe and to some 
degree England. Most of the really good stuff came from Germany, 
particularly the Schott glass works associated with Zeiss.  Even before 
the war some research was being done in the U.S. mostly at Bausch & 
Lomb. Because optics were vital to the military a program was 
established on the entry of the U.S. into the war to develop optical 
glass at least equal to the quality of German glass.  There was 
considerable success. In the mid 1930s some very advanced research was 
done at the National Bureau of Standards where "rare earth" glasses were 
invented. The commercial development of these glass types was given over 
to Eastman Kodak who used them first.
     I don't have much information on other than optical glass but 
vacuum tube manufacture required several specialized glasses, for 
instance those which would withstand great heat and would not outgas. 
For some applications glass with very good dimensional stability was 
required. I rather think the folks at the Tube Collector's list could 
provide more about these.
    Glass BTW, is NOT a liquid and does not slowly flow when cold. Those 
wavy windows on old buildings are not wavy from slow flow over time but 
rather because they were made from blown glass rather than the later 
flowed kind. This is molten glass flowed out onto a bed of molten metal 
so the surfaces are extremely smooth.
     I have not searched the web but I am sure there is lots more 
information available, maybe even movies of the process at You Tube.
     I am also curious about the origin of Boffin meaning a specialist.

On 12/13/2016 6:11 PM, Jay Coward wrote:
> And to be considered, the quality of the glass. War time may have caused
> limitations on the ingredients that made up the glass itself.
> It seems the "Boffins" came up with a workable solution.
>
>  So, as a side note, where and when and what and how did "Boffins" enter
> the English language of Great Britton? (my understanding of the word to
> mean Scientist/Engineer/Somebody with Brains).
>
> Jay KE6PPF
>
>
>
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL