Extreme conditions, the choise of glass

Going back in time, we perceive the close link between glass, matter and stars. Formed from atoms produced during the death of stars, particularly the heavier ones which explode in supernovas, silicon, an essential element in the manufacture of glass, is formed, as are many atoms lighter than iron, which constitute a part of the earth's resources. There are natural glasses like obsidian from volcanism, but it is in Mesopotamia that we find the first pieces of coarse glass made by man more than 4000 years ago.

As in a cooking recipe, the properties of glass depend on the basic ingredients used, offering an infinite number of compositions for different uses, culinary glasses being resistant, for example, to sudden changes in temperature without altering the food. It is preferred over plastic for its resistance, its recyclability and its inertia in the face of chemical attack, particularly in the food and pharmaceutical industries or for the storage of our hazardous waste. We find it in many applications, including in solar panels to protect photovoltaic cells and increase their efficiency. Used glass is recycled into cullet to make new glass objects, thus limiting the extraction of new raw materials and reducing energy consumption.

The film is in French.