Aresearch project "Developing colour glasses for leadfree glass bases", financed by the Akademy of Finland, started at the Department.on 1.1.1993. The project is carried out in cooperation with the department for Inorganic Chemistry at Åbo Academi University and the Hackman-Iittala glassworks. 

Ahe effect of the most frequently used colouring agents has been studied with two different leadfree glass bases. To focus on environmental aspects in this study, a leadfree glass base composition was selected along with colouring agents that have little if any harmful effects on health and the environment, such as iron, cobalt, vanadium, titan, cerium, chrome, copper, manganese and neodymium. 

Beside the colouring effect, this study covers the impact of these raw materials the properties of glass at working temperature and on the thermal expansion coefficient of glass. The results of experiments with coloured glass are reported as spectra and tri-component colour values calculated from these. As for the working temperature the results can be compared to the corresponding clear base glass. The thermal expansion is tested with compatibility experiments that can be carried out in a standard studio environment and the test method is being verified by measuring the thermal expansion to numerical results. 

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Publications: 

• R. Siikamäki, M.Rajala, Coloured Glasses for Leaf-free Base Glass 

Info:

Raija Siikamäki, @
Research Scientist 

University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH
Department of Ceramics and Glass
Hämeentie 135 C 
FIN-00560 Helsinki, Finland 
phone: +358 9 75630395, fax: +358 9 75630275