Although crystal and glass are similar in appearance, they are actually very different in chemical composition, properties, and uses. Let's uncover the essential difference between the two.
First, the chemical composition is different.
1.Crystal: Crystal is a natural transparent quartz mineral crystal that belongs to the quartz family. Its main chemical component is silicon dioxide (SiO2), which contains up to 99%. In addition, the crystal may also contain small amounts of impurity elements, such as aluminum, iron, potassium, sodium, etc.
2.Glass: Glass is an amorphous inorganic non-metallic material whose main components are silicon dioxide (SiO2) and other oxides. The chemical composition of ordinary glass mainly includes sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), calcium silicate (Casio3) and silicon dioxide (SiO2). Glass may also contain other auxiliary raw materials, such as barium carbonate, feldspar, soda ash, etc.
2. Differences in nature.
1.Physical properties: Crystal is a crystal, with obvious coolness, high hardness, and good wear resistance. Glass is amorphous, has a sense of temperature, has low hardness, and has poor wear resistance.
2.Optical properties: crystal has a good refractive index, and the refractive index is 1544-1.553, showing a beautiful luster. The refractive index of glass is about 140, the luster is relatively weak.
3.Weight: Crystal products have a large specific gravity, and items of the same size are heavier than glass. This is due to the high content of lead oxide (PBO) in crystals, which reaches 24%. Whereas, the lead oxide content in glass is low, usually no more than 10%.
3. Differences in use.
1.Crystal: Crystal is prized for its high transparency, high hardness, and beautiful luster, and is often used as a raw material for jewelry, handicrafts, instruments and other high-end supplies. In addition, crystal also has a piezoelectric effect, which can be used to make electronic components.
2.Glass: Glass has a wide range of applications, such as windows and doors, utensils, building materials, optical instruments, etc. There are many types of glass products, including ordinary glass, tempered glass, frosted glass, colored glass, etc.
To sum up, crystal and glass have obvious differences in terms of chemical composition, physical properties, optical properties, and uses. In everyday life, understanding these differences helps us better choose and use both materials.