I learned a bunch of #scientific#glass stuff attending the ASGS Symposium at Salem Community College last week.
I learned a bunch about Quartz glass! AKA Fused Silica- its glass without any fluxes- just super pure silica! Its needed for #Semiconductor production and one of the US symposium sponsors is using Chips act funds to be there (they are trying to triple their glassblowers in 10 years).
Quartz is so weird to work with- it sublimes (goes from solid to gas) and leaves behind vaporous quartz as white haze around the area worked. In a semiconductor environment you would use hydrogen fed torches and gloves with Hydrofluoric acid washes in between operations! The #hydrogen is like a hot laserbeam flame. #Quartz wont ever boil, stops moving quickly and is almost impervious to thermal stress
Glass knowledge wasn't the only thing I picked up though- my body also picked up some #COVID I just discovered #Monsterdon .Time to stay home :)