The Department's area of activity includes industrial plants, glass furnaces, production processes, thermophysical tests, experimental meltings, bubble analyses, models, containers strength.

Specific activities are:

• setting up of test methods and certification according to international, EC and Italian standards, of the strength of glass containers, fibres, objects and other silicate materials;
• finite elements theoretical analysis of stresses in glass objects under different kinds of load;
• internal pressure, thermal shock, axial load, impact resistance;
• fracture analysis to identify breakage causes;
• glass surface studies in relation to strenght;
• production process analyses in relation to strength behaviour prediction;
• waste devitrification and possible production of artifacts;
• experimental meltings to verify the influence of raw materials on glass quality (melting properties, fining, colour);
• experimental meltings of special glasses to be studied in other laboratories;
• studies on melting and forming processes to optimize production;
• studies on conventional and electric furnaces for energy saving;
• thermophysical measurements on glass (viscosity, expansion, specific heat, electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, Young's modulus);
• analysis of micro-bubbles in glass aimed at diagnosing their origin in the production process;

Following equipment is used:

• strain gauges, polariscope, stereoscope and polarizing microscopes, surface stress detector;
• AGR equipment for internal pressure, axial load and impact resistance measurements;
• Apparatus for thermal shock according to ASTM
• Balzers mass spectrometer;
• Varian 1700 gas-chromatograph.
• Viscosimeters for the measurement of viscosity according to present standards;
• DMA for the measurement of elastic moduli and strain up to 600°C;
• DSC for the measurement of specific heat up to 1400°C;
• DTA up to 1450°C;
• DTG up to 1600°C.
• HOT DISK for the measurement of thermal diffusivity (on glass and moulds materials) up to 200°C;
• Cell for the measurement of electrical conductivity between 800 and 1500°C.
  

Following furnaces are available:

• 2 methane-fuelled, one-pot furnaces for temperatures up to 1700°C;
• Kanthal A1 electric furnace for temperatures up to 1250°C;
• Crusilite electric furnace for temperatures up to 1400°C;
• Super Kanthal electric furnace for temperatures up to 1700°C;
• 2 annealing furnaces for temperatures up to 650°C;
• Mono-filament bushing;
• Multi-filament bushing;