eprintid: 262
rev_number: 13
eprint_status: archive
userid: 7
dir: disk0/00/00/02/62
datestamp: 2009-10-22 09:02:42
lastmod: 2015-05-29 19:52:37
status_changed: 2009-10-22 09:02:42
type: report
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Fowler, Andrew
creators_name: Gonzalez, Maria
creators_name: Hegarty, Alan
creators_name: King, John
creators_name: Ockendon, Hilary
creators_name: O’Brien, Stephen
creators_name: Robinson, Marguerite
creators_name: Shishkin, G. I.
creators_name: Tocher, David
creators_name: Wang, Qi
title: Acid Polishing of Lead Crystal Glass
ispublished: pub
subjects: materials
studygroups: esgi62
full_text_status: public
abstract: The industrial partner manufactures high quality lead crystal glassware. The cutting of decorative features in the glass damages the surface and the cuts are optically opaque; to restore transparency, the glass is polished in a solution of hydrofluoric (HF) and sulphuric acid (H2 SO4 .) The polishing process comprises three stages:
   1. immersion in a polishing tank containing acid;
   2. rinsing in a tank containing water; and
   3. settlement of the solid reaction products in a settlement tank.
The manufacturer hopes to optimise its polishing process to
    • minimise the health/environmental impact of the process;
    • maximise throughput;
    • maintain the sharpness of the cut edges while still polishing to an acceptable level of transparency.

The study group was asked to focus on modelling three aspects of the process:
    • the chemical reactions involved in the etching at the glass-acid solution interface;
    • the removal of reaction products in the settlement tank;
    • flow within the polishing tank.
date: 2008
citation:   Fowler, Andrew and Gonzalez, Maria and Hegarty, Alan and King, John and Ockendon, Hilary and O’Brien, Stephen and Robinson, Marguerite and Shishkin, G. I. and Tocher, David and Wang, Qi  (2008) Acid Polishing of Lead Crystal Glass.  [Study Group Report]     
document_url: http://miis.maths.ox.ac.uk/miis/262/1/glassreport.pdf