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Uranium Glass: Real Danger or Valuable Antique? Uranium glass shines, but does not heat Is it possible to use uranium glass in everyday life.

The word "uranium" modern man causes nervous tremors. It is primarily associated with radiation and death. Someone else remember about the energy, but still then go Atom stations, accidents, waste, again radiation and ... But it turns out that uranium is capable of not only bringing danger, but also giving beauty.

Uranium glass is glass that has been tinted with uranium oxide in colors ranging from transparent yellow to deep yellow-green, turquoise, and even blue. But this glass is not only distinguished by its color. Its main difference is that uranium glass intensely fluoresces - burns in ultraviolet rays. Are uranium products hazardous to human life and health? Let's find out.

All this happens due to the addition of uranium oxide to the glass before melting. Its content in glass ranges from 0.3% to 4-6%, although some objects of the 19th century contain even up to 25% uranium. Interestingly, with an increased content of uranium salts, fluorescence gradually weakens and completely disappears when the content of uranium salts is more than 20% of the total glass mass.

This is how Lyudmila Markovna Gurchenko talked about her first meeting in it ... Once in the Hermitage, where I went every Saturday and Sunday, when I was filming in Leningrad, I saw a transparent green vase! The sun was shining brightly, this vase of amazing beauty stood on a cabinet made of Karelian birch. Words cannot convey! Then I found out that it was uranium glass, which was no longer produced in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, because glassblowers were dying from uranium fumes. I, while still studying at the institute, began to go to commission stores to buy vases. Now I have three windows - all in uranium glass! Sun, Karelian birch, green vase and pink flower!

A feature of uranium glass is fluorescence, which lies in the fact that uranium glass, by absorbing ultraviolet and violet rays, transfers part of the absorbed energy to the region of the green radiation spectrum. For practice, it is very important that this secondary, green radiation does not continue the path of the previous beam, but is scattered.

Uranium glass is silicate, for which calcium, zinc and barite compositions are recommended and preferably high in potassium and boric anhydride, this provides more intense glass fluorescence. The lead content in the glass does not give fluorescence, but mixed lead-barium-zinc glasses fluoresce. The content of uranium should be relatively large 0.3-1.5%, since the coloring ability of uranium is small, in some cases 4-6% uranium is introduced, however, with a higher content of uranium in the glass, the fluorescence gradually weakens.

Uranium is introduced into the charge in the form of yellow sodium uranium Na2UO4, or mixed oxide U3O8=UO2*2UO3 of dark green color, other uranium oxides of orange color UO3 or brown color UO2.

Well, if you understand from a scientific point of view, then we can talk about two risk factors - radioactive exposure and chemical toxicity of uranium glass

No doubt radioactive, but due to its long half-life (4.5 billion years), and only the alpha activity of its radio emission, the radiation hazard of uranium glass is very negligible. In addition, it must be taken into account that such glass can emit radiation only on its surface and the range of these radioactive particles is no more than 10-15 cm. Therefore, storing uranium glass in a residential area does not pose a risk of exposure to residents. Accordingly, if you admire your collection glass from a distance of half a meter and spend no more than 2 hours a day cleaning it, then you have practically no chance of getting even a minimal dose of radiation!

As for the chemical toxicity of uranium, in this respect, the uranium contained in glass does not pose any danger, just as lead, which is contained in large quantities (tens of percent) in all crystal products, does not pose a danger. But crystal glassware is used everywhere and much more often than uranium glassware. The release of radon with uranium glass has not been experimentally confirmed, but even if it did, the effect of radon on the body in such negligible amounts is not considered as something super-harmful.

Lyudmila Gurchenko lived a long and fruitful life surrounded by her huge collection - one of the best evidence of this.

And now a little about the history of uranium glass.

The appearance of uranium glass is estimated at least 79 BC. BC, which date a mosaic found in a Roman villa at Cape Posillipo in the Gulf of Naples (Italy) in 1912 and containing yellow glass with 1% uranium oxide. Since the end of the Middle Ages pitchblende (uranite) began to be mined from the silver mines of the Habsburgs near the city of St. Joachimstal in Bohemia (now Jachymov, Czech Republic) and was used as a dye in local glass production.
the beginning mass production products from uranium glass occurred already in the Late Middle Ages, after the discovery of uranium-containing compounds in the silver mines of the Habsburgs in Joachimsthal (Bohemia).

The first industrial production of uranium glass began in the 1830s at the I. Riedel manufactory in Unter Polau, Bohemia. Josef Riedel named the main colors of uranium glass after his wife Anna: -Grun) - Annagryn.

At the Riedel manufactory, traditional for that time blown vases, glasses and glasses, decorated with engraving, were made from uranium glass.

In the 40s of the nineteenth century, the production of uranium glass began everywhere, including in Russia. Each manufacturer made its own changes to the glass formulation. The color and shades of uranium glass ranged from mustard to white, turquoise and blue. We also experimented with the transparency of glass. Translucent glass was called vaseline, opaque green - chrysoprase or jade

The largest number of uranium glass products falls on the period of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, that is, in the 1880s-1930s. One of largest manufacturers glasses at that time were the famous English firms BAGLEY and DAVIDSON. They changed the finish glass products matting with hydrofluoric acid, diamond carving, as in cutting crystal, they combined uranium glass with other types of glass in one product, decorated it with engraving and etching. Manufacturers experimented with new glass additives - mostly large amounts of iron oxides - to achieve new colors and effects.

But at all times, the main danger of uranium glass was precisely in its production. Contact with uranium oxides caused great harm to the health of glassblowers both in the era of handicraft production, and later, when the leading manufactories switched to the production of uranium glass on an industrial scale by pressing. But all this is already in the past. During the Second World War, the production of uranium glass was stopped forever.

Currently, uranium glass is practically not produced and is an antique and collectible value. The cost of uranium glass products is affected, as well as all antiques in general, by a number of factors - time of manufacture, complexity, beauty, manufacturer's name and rarity in the market. The cost of products ranges from several tens of dollars to thousands and more. The unusualness of uranium glass will never become boring to its owner and every time it will remind you of the carefree era between the two world wars - when people were in a hurry to live and enjoyed every minute.

And even though you will not always admire your uranium glass in the dark with special lighting, this will not prevent you from feeling like the owner of a unique and rare item from a bygone era.

However, it is still worth recalling that since uranium is radioactive, uranium glass is, to one degree or another, a source of radiation hazard. It depends on the content of uranium, its origin and isotopic composition, and the age of the product. The maximum danger is presented by products made with the addition of natural uranium minerals, in which the latter is in secular equilibrium with its decay products. If chemically pure uranium, purified from daughter decay products, is used, then the product is initially only a weak source of alpha rays, but over time, decay products accumulate in it, which eventually leads to a significant increase in radioactivity. The safest addition is depleted uranium.

Uranium glass; - a mysterious and mystical thing. Here is how Lyudmila Markovna Gurchenko talked about her first meeting in it ... Once in the Hermitage, where I went every Saturday and Sunday, when I was filming in Leningrad, I saw a transparent green vase! The sun was shining brightly, this vase of amazing beauty stood on a cabinet made of Karelian birch. Words cannot convey! Then I found out that it was uranium glass, which was no longer produced in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, because glassblowers were dying from uranium fumes. I, while still studying at the institute, began to go to commission stores to buy vases. Now I have three windows - all in uranium glass! Sun, Karelian birch, green vase and pink flower!

Uranium glass is glass that has been tinted with uranium oxide in colors ranging from transparent yellow to deep yellow-green, turquoise, and even blue. But this glass is not only distinguished by its color. Its main difference is that uranium glass is intensely fluorescing - it burns in ultraviolet rays.

All this happens due to the addition of uranium oxide to the glass before melting. Its content in glass ranges from 0.3% to 4-6%, although some objects of the 19th century contain even up to 25% uranium. Interestingly, with an increased content of uranium salts, fluorescence gradually weakens and completely disappears when the content of uranium salts is more than 20% of the total glass mass.

Are uranium products hazardous to human life and health? Now let's find out...

Photo 2.

So, one more time.

uranium glass- glass, which is colored with uranium oxides, has a beautiful yellow-green color (a group of yellow-green glasses ZHZS) with a rather intense green fluorescence. The melting of uranium glass presents no difficulty regarding special conditions and modes of glassmaking, but wide application is limited by the scarcity and high cost of uranium compounds.

A feature of uranium glass is fluorescence, which lies in the fact that uranium glass, by absorbing ultraviolet and violet rays, transfers part of the absorbed energy to the region of the green radiation spectrum. For practice, it is very important that this secondary, green radiation does not continue the path of the previous beam, but is scattered.

Uranium glass is silicate, for which calcium, zinc and barite compositions are recommended and preferably high in potassium and boric anhydride, this provides more intense glass fluorescence. The lead content in the glass does not give fluorescence, but mixed lead-barium-zinc glasses fluoresce. The content of uranium should be relatively large 0.3-1.5%, since the coloring ability of uranium is small, in some cases 4-6% uranium is introduced, however, with a higher content of uranium in the glass, the fluorescence gradually weakens.

Uranium is introduced into the charge in the form of yellow sodium uranium Na 2 UO 4 , or mixed oxide U 3 O 8 =UO 2 *2UO 3 dark green, other oxides of uranium orange UO 3 or brown UO 2 .

Photo 3.

Well, if you understand from a scientific point of view, then we can talk about two risk factors - radioactive exposure and chemical toxicity of uranium glass

There is no doubt that uranium is radioactive, but due to its long half-life (4.5 billion years), and the only alpha activity of its radio emission, the radiation hazard of uranium glass is very negligible. In addition, it must be taken into account that such glass can emit radiation only on its surface and the range of these radioactive particles is no more than 10-15 cm. Therefore, storing uranium glass in a residential area does not pose a risk of exposure to residents. Accordingly, if you admire your collection glass from a distance of half a meter and spend no more than 2 hours a day cleaning it, then you have practically no chance of getting even a minimal dose of radiation!

As for the chemical toxicity of uranium, in this respect, the uranium contained in glass does not pose any danger, just as lead, which is contained in large quantities (tens of percent) in all crystal products, does not pose a danger. But crystal glassware is used everywhere and much more often than uranium glassware. The release of radon with uranium glass has not been experimentally confirmed, but even if it did, the effect of radon on the body in such negligible amounts is not considered as something super-harmful.

Lyudmila Gurchenko lived a long and fruitful life surrounded by her huge collection - one of the best evidence of this.

Photo 4.

And now a little about the history of uranium glass. The appearance of uranium glass is estimated at least 79 BC. BC, which date a mosaic found in a Roman villa at Cape Posillipo in the Gulf of Naples (Italy) in 1912 and containing yellow glass with 1% uranium oxide. Since the end of the Middle Ages pitchblende (uranite) began to be mined from the silver mines of the Habsburgs near the city of St. Joachimstal in Bohemia (now Jachymov, Czech Republic) and was used as a dye in local glass production. The beginning of the mass production of uranium glass products occurred already in the Late Middle Ages, after the discovery of uranium-containing compounds in the silver mines of the Habsburgs in Joachimsthal (Bohemia). The discoverer of uranium, the German chemist Martin Klaproth (1743-1817), conducted successful experiments on staining glass with uranium compounds.


The very first industrial production of uranium glass began in the 1830s at I. Riedel's manufactory in Unter Polau, Bohemia. Josef Riedel named the main colors of uranium glass after his wife Anna: -Grun) - Annagryn.


At the Riedel manufactory, traditional for that time blown vases, glasses and glasses, decorated with engraving, were made from uranium glass.

In the 40s of the nineteenth century, the production of uranium glass began everywhere, including in Russia. Each manufacturer made its own changes to the glass formulation. The color and shades of uranium glass ranged from mustard to white, turquoise and blue. We also experimented with the transparency of glass. Translucent glass was called vaseline, opaque green - chrysoprase or jade

The largest number of uranium glass products falls on the period of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, that is, in the 1880s-1930s. One of the largest glass manufacturers at that time was the famous English firms BAGLEY and DAVIDSON. They diversified the finishing of glass products by frosting with hydrofluoric acid, diamond carving, as in cutting crystal, combined uranium glass with other types of glass in one product, decorated it with engraving and etching. Manufacturers have been experimenting with new glass additives - mostly large amounts of iron oxides - to achieve new colors and effects.

But at all times, the main danger of uranium glass was precisely in its production. Contact with uranium oxides caused great harm to the health of glassblowers both in the era of handicraft production, and later, when the leading manufactories switched to the production of uranium glass on an industrial scale by pressing. But all this is already in the past. During the Second World War, the production of uranium glass was stopped forever.

Photo 5.

Currently, uranium glass is practically not produced and is an antique and collectible value. The cost of uranium glass products, like all antiques in general, is affected by a number of factors - time of manufacture, complexity, beauty, manufacturer's name and rarity on the market. The cost of products ranges from several tens of dollars to thousands and more. The unusualness of uranium glass will never become boring to its owner and every time it will remind you of the carefree era between the two world wars - when people were in a hurry to live and enjoyed every minute.

And even though you may not always admire your uranium glass in the dark with special lighting, this will not prevent you from feeling like the owner of a unique and rare item from a bygone era.

Photo 6.

However, it is still worth recalling that since uranium is radioactive, uranium glass is, to one degree or another, a source of radiation hazard. It depends on the content of uranium, its origin and isotopic composition, and the age of the item. The maximum danger is presented by products made with the addition of natural uranium minerals, in which the latter is in secular equilibrium with its decay products. If chemically pure uranium, purified from daughter decay products, is used, then the product is initially only a weak source of alpha rays, but over time, decay products accumulate in it, which eventually leads to a significant increase in radioactivity. The safest addition is depleted uranium.

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sources

http://www.wikiznanie.ru/ru-wz/index.php/%D0%A3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5_ %D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%BE

http://nuclearpeace.jimdo.com/%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2 %D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5/ %D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BE-%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE/ %D1%83%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA% D0%BB%D0%BE/

http://antique-expert.com/content/%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5-%D1%81% D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D1%87%D1%82%D0%BE-%D1%8D%D1%82%D0%BE-%D1%82 %D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5

Let's find out more or The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Compound

For uranium glasses, calcium, zinc, barium compositions are recommended, preferably with a high content of potassium and boron, this provides a more intense fluorescence of the glass. Lead glasses do not fluoresce because they absorb ultraviolet rays. For uranium glasses without fluorescence, lead glass compositions can also be used, for example, in jewelry to imitate topaz - such glasses have a yellow color comparable to topaz. The content of coloring uranium should be relatively high, since the coloring power of uranium in glass compositions is low - it is 0.3 ... 1.5% UO 2 or 4 ... 6% UO 3. However, with a higher introduction of uranium oxide, the fluorescence of the glass gradually weakens.

Uranium is introduced into the charge in the form of one of the following oxides:

  • yellow uranate sodium Na 2 UO 4
  • dark green mixed uranium oxide U 3 O 8 (that is, UO 2 * 2UO 3)
  • orange uranium trioxide UO 3
  • brown uranium dioxide UO 2

It should be noted that the yellow or yellow-green color of the glass is not an unambiguous sign of the content of uranium oxides in the glass. Compounds of cadmium, sulfur, selenium, as well as organic dyes - flour, starch, cereals, which give a golden yellow color to glass, can be coloring yellow or yellow-green. Glass that actually contains uranium oxides gives a specific fluorescent (luminous) yellow or yellow-green color.

Standardized uranium glasses with precisely maintained chemical composition and glass melting regime:

  • borosilicate optical glass yellow ZhS19 - 1.37% UO 3 through uranyl nitrate UO 2 (NO 3) 6H 2 O
  • zinc-phosphate optical glass green ZS7 - 2.80% UO 3 through sodium uranate Na 2 UO 4

Manufacturers-suppliers usually accompany each delivery with a passport (factory laboratory test certificate) and indicate the group, type of glass and additionally disclose the chemical composition, indicating exactly the content of uranium oxides and other oxides in the glass. chemical elements.

Properties

Uranium glass has a high refractive index. One of the noticeable qualities of glasses with a uranium content of up to 20% is fluorescence in ultraviolet rays. As a rule, glasses have a strong colored color. The coefficient of thermal expansion is small, which led to the use of electron tubes as a material for the case.

Story

The appearance of uranium glass is estimated at least by Mr. e. dated to a mosaic found in a Roman villa at Cape Posillipo in the Gulf of Naples (Italy) in 1912 and containing yellow glass with 1% uranium oxide. Since the end of the Middle Ages pitchblende (uranite) began to be mined from the silver mines of the Habsburgs near the city of St. Joachimstal in Bohemia (now Jachymov, Czech Republic) and was used as a dye in local glass production.

Radioactivity

Since uranium is radioactive, uranium glass is a source of radiation hazard. It depends on the content of uranium, its origin and isotopic composition, and the age of the item. The maximum danger is presented by products made with the addition of natural uranium minerals, in which the latter is in secular equilibrium with its decay products. Uranium glasses with a uranium content of up to 6% have gamma radiation, as a rule, below the permissible values, slightly exceeding the natural background, but beta radiation can exceed the norm by dozens of times. When stored behind the glass of an ordinary sideboard, uranium glass products are safe, because.

Uranium glass; - a mysterious and mystical thing. Here is how Lyudmila Markovna Gurchenko talked about her first meeting in it ...

“Once in the Hermitage, where I went every Saturday and Sunday, when I was filming in Leningrad, I saw a transparent green vase! The sun was shining brightly, this vase of amazing beauty stood on a cabinet made of Karelian birch. glass, which was no longer produced in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, because glassblowers were dying from uranium fumes.I, while still studying at the institute, began to go to commission stores to buy vases.Now I have three windows - all in uranium glass!Sun, Karelian birch, green vase and pink flower!"

Uranium glass is glass that has been tinted with uranium oxide in colors ranging from transparent yellow to deep yellow-green, turquoise, and even blue. But this glass is not only distinguished by its color. Its main difference is that uranium glass is intensely fluorescing - it burns in ultraviolet rays.

All this happens due to the addition of uranium oxide to the glass before melting. Its content in glass ranges from 0.3% to 4-6%, although some objects of the 19th century contain even up to 25% uranium. Interestingly, with an increased content of uranium salts, fluorescence gradually weakens and completely disappears when the content of uranium salts is more than 20% of the total glass mass.

Are uranium products hazardous to human life and health? Now let's find out...


So, one more time.


uranium glass- glass, which is colored with uranium oxides, has a beautiful yellow-green color (a group of yellow-green glasses ZHZS) with a rather intense green fluorescence. The melting of uranium glass does not present any difficulties regarding the special conditions and regimes of glass melting, but wide application is limited by the scarcity and high cost of uranium compounds.

A feature of uranium glass is fluorescence, which lies in the fact that uranium glass, by absorbing ultraviolet and violet rays, transfers part of the absorbed energy to the region of the green radiation spectrum. For practice, it is very important that this secondary, green radiation does not continue the path of the previous beam, but is scattered.

Uranium glass is silicate, for which calcium, zinc and barite compositions are recommended and preferably high in potassium and boric anhydride, this provides more intense glass fluorescence. The lead content in the glass does not give fluorescence, but mixed lead-barium-zinc glasses fluoresce. The content of uranium should be relatively large 0.3-1.5%, since the coloring ability of uranium is small, in some cases 4-6% uranium is introduced, however, with a higher content of uranium in the glass, the fluorescence gradually weakens.

Uranium is introduced into the charge in the form of yellow sodium uranium Na 2 UO 4 , or mixed oxide U 3 O 8 =UO 2 *2UO 3 dark green, other oxides of uranium orange UO 3 or brown UO 2 .

Well, if you understand from a scientific point of view, then we can talk about two risk factors - radioactive exposure and chemical toxicity of uranium glass

There is no doubt that uranium is radioactive, but due to its long half-life (4.5 billion years), and the only alpha activity of its radio emission, the radiation hazard of uranium glass is very negligible. In addition, it must be taken into account that such glass can emit radiation only on its surface and the range of these radioactive particles is no more than 10-15 cm. Therefore, storing uranium glass in a residential area does not pose a risk of exposure to residents. Accordingly, if you admire your collection glass from a distance of half a meter and spend no more than 2 hours a day cleaning it, then you have practically no chance of getting even a minimal dose of radiation!


As for the chemical toxicity of uranium, in this respect, the uranium contained in glass does not pose any danger, just as lead, which is contained in large quantities (tens of percent) in all crystal products, does not pose a danger. But crystal glassware is used everywhere and much more often than uranium glassware. The release of radon with uranium glass has not been experimentally confirmed, but even if it did, the effect of radon on the body in such negligible amounts is not considered as something super-harmful.

Lyudmila Gurchenko lived a long and fruitful life surrounded by her huge collection - one of the best confirmations of this.


And now a little about the history of uranium glass.

The appearance of uranium glass is estimated at least 79 BC. BC, which date a mosaic found in a Roman villa at Cape Posillipo in the Gulf of Naples (Italy) in 1912 and containing yellow glass with 1% uranium oxide. Since the end of the Middle Ages pitchblende (uranite) began to be mined from the silver mines of the Habsburgs near the city of St. Joachimstal in Bohemia (now Jachymov, Czech Republic) and was used as a dye in local glass production.

The beginning of the mass production of uranium glass products occurred already in the Late Middle Ages, after the discovery of uranium-containing compounds in the silver mines of the Habsburgs in Joachimsthal (Bohemia). The discoverer of uranium, the German chemist Martin Klaproth (1743-1817), conducted successful experiments on staining glass with uranium compounds.

The very first industrial production of uranium glass began in the 1830s at I. Riedel's manufactory in Unter Polau, Bohemia. Josef Riedel named the main colors of uranium glass after his wife Anna: -Grun) - Annagryn.

At the Riedel manufactory, traditional for that time blown vases, glasses and glasses, decorated with engraving, were made from uranium glass.

In the 40s of the nineteenth century, the production of uranium glass began everywhere, including in Russia. Each manufacturer made its own changes to the glass formulation. The color and shades of uranium glass ranged from mustard to white, turquoise and blue. We also experimented with the transparency of glass. Translucent glass was called vaseline, opaque green - chrysoprase or jade

The largest number of uranium glass products falls on the period of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, that is, in the 1880s-1930s. One of the largest glass manufacturers at that time was the famous English firms BAGLEY and DAVIDSON. They diversified the finishing of glass products by frosting with hydrofluoric acid, diamond carving, as in cutting crystal, combined uranium glass with other types of glass in one product, decorated it with engraving and etching. Manufacturers have been experimenting with new glass additives - mostly large amounts of iron oxides - to achieve new colors and effects.

But at all times, the main danger of uranium glass was precisely in its production. Contact with uranium oxides caused great harm to the health of glassblowers both in the era of handicraft production, and later, when the leading manufactories switched to the production of uranium glass on an industrial scale by pressing. But all this is already in the past. During the Second World War, the production of uranium glass was stopped forever.


Currently, uranium glass is practically not produced and is an antique and collectible value. The cost of uranium glass products, like all antiques in general, is affected by a number of factors - time of manufacture, complexity, beauty, manufacturer's name and rarity on the market. The cost of products ranges from several tens of dollars to thousands and more. The unusualness of uranium glass will never become boring to its owner and every time it will remind you of the carefree era between the two world wars - when people were in a hurry to live and enjoyed every minute.

And even though you may not always admire your uranium glass in the dark with special lighting, this will not prevent you from feeling like the owner of a unique and rare item from a bygone era.


However, it is still worth recalling that since uranium is radioactive, uranium glass is, to one degree or another, a source of radiation hazard. It depends on the content of uranium, its origin and isotopic composition, and the age of the product. The maximum danger is presented by products made with the addition of natural uranium minerals, in which the latter is in secular equilibrium with its decay products. If chemically pure uranium, purified from daughter decay products, is used, then the product is initially only a weak source of alpha rays, but over time, decay products accumulate in it, which eventually leads to a significant increase in radioactivity. The safest addition is depleted uranium.












Every hostess cares about the beauty and comfort of her home. Very often, women purchase this or that product, only focusing on its appearance, without even thinking about what it is made of and what its origin is. The beautiful and unusual type of glass known as uranium glass is as beautiful as it is interesting in its origin.

What is uranium?

Uranium is a substance with unusual properties. It has tremendous power, which is actively used by man in various areas of life. Appearance of this unusual substance does not differ from silver, but its weight is much greater. A small piece can weigh up to half a ton.

feature this material is its radioactivity. Uranium atoms decay in air, and the energy that is released in this case is radiation. Some elements of matter are capable of exploding, dividing into several units. It is thanks to this ability that uranium is used in nuclear stations and for the production of weapons.

The substance is extracted from the ore.uranium orepre-processed. To collect a small amount of material, it is necessary to process a huge mass of ore. From several tons, you can get only a few kilograms of a valuable substance.

After obtaining this compound, it is subjected to additional purification. One kilogram of uranium has enormous energy, comparable to the force of 3 million kg of coal. This feature distinguishes this substance, makes it indispensable at nuclear power plants.

Various names for uranium glass

Glass from uranium ore is a substance whose elements are colored by uranium compounds. Because of this, there is such a thing asuranium glass luminescence. It takes on a slight greenish tint in the dark.Glass has other names, such as canary, Canary, Burmese, depression.

The concept of "canary" and "canary" glass appeared in the 18th century in England.Somewhat later, the concept of "Burmese" glass came into use. It had an opaque structure and was painted in a pale pink or yellowish hue. The glass contained not only uranium elements, but also gold impurities. It was coloring that became the basis for the emergence of a new concept. A piece of Burmese glass was presented to the Queen of England, who compared its color to a sunset in Burma. During the Great Depression, the concept of "depression glass" came into play. It is most popular in America.In the 19th century, a new name "Vaseline glass" or "petroleum jelly" begins to be used here. It had a greenish-yellow color, strongly reminiscent of shades of olive oil. Greener tones shone less and were less valuable. The composition of the product had a high content of iron, which contributed to the change in color and price. In Russiacalled "royal". Its use begins in the 19th century.

Not all countries used a specific name for the uranium product. Some simply called it by the name of the manufacturer. Herewas actively processed and a large number of popular goods were produced from it. So, in Finland, the name of riihimak glass was practiced after the name of the manufacturer.

For a long time, few people could guess about the unusual ability of glass to fluoresce. Such an unexpected feature of the product was discovered only after the start of the mass use of electric lighting.

History of origin and beginning of use

Uranium began to be actively used in ancient times. Evidence of this is the discovery of a mosaic in the house of an Italian local resident, which contained uranium compounds. Somewhat later, in the Middle Ages, uranite mining began in the Czech Republic. Even then, it begins to be used as a coloring matter for creating dishes and mosaics.

The period of active production of uranium products in Russia begins in 1830.uranium glassenjoyed great popularity among buyers, and the production of such goods grew. This time was a period of new experiments. Other compounds and additives were used, experimented with transparency, color and thickness of products. The greatest danger of a radioactive substance has always been precisely for workers. industrial production that have come into direct contact with uranium. Glassblowers in the factories had an increased mortality rate.

Until 1945, the plants used pure uranium, and after the war they began to use depleted uranium in production. This change in technology greatly increased the cost of products.Uranium glass productswere an element of pride and well-being.

The popularity of products with uranium

To date, glass from uranium is produced only at a few factories in the Czech Republic and America, and now the goods are used only as decorative elements. Cutlery is out of use. Uranium glassware has become the subject of collections and pride of their owners.

Prices for such goods are not cheap. You can find products from several tens of dollars to several thousand. One of the famous Russian collectors was Lyudmila Gurchenko, who first saw uranium glass items in the Hermitage. Since then, she has become a fan of these products.

Composition of uranium glass

Popular and beautiful uranium glasses could be created due to a certain composition. They had to contain elements such as potassium, boron, zinc. A sufficient addition of potassium and boron gave such an unusual glow. Ordinary lead glass did not have such a beautiful effect due to the absorption of sunlight. Lead compounds could also be used for uranium glasses, but the beautiful glow disappeared. So, to color the composition yellow and create a stone similar to topaz, uranium was added. To give the stone the necessary noble shade, it was necessary to add a significant amount of uranium, with an overabundance of which the glow disappeared.

Primary colors

There are several colors of uranium:

1. Yellow.

2. Dark green.

3. Orange.

4. Brown.

Uranium compounds were not always used to create a yellow or yellow-green hue of the composition. It could be: flour, starch and other additives. Uranium gave the product exactly a fluorescent shade, which distinguished it from other additives. and make the product unique.

Standard uranium glass had a specific composition and creation rules:

1. Optical glass with a yellow tint using boron and ZhS 19 silicate - 1.37% UO 3 through uranyl nitrate UO 2 (NO 3) 6H 2 O.

2. Optical glass with a green tint using zinc and phosphate ZS 7 - 2.80% UO 3 through sodium uranit Na 2 UO 4 .

Manufacturers always accompany quality goods passport. Here the composition of the product and its features are noted, including the percentage of certain compounds.

Peculiarities

A feature of products with the addition of uranium is the presence of a luminescent glow. It is created due to the high refraction of sunlight. Products accumulate sunlight, which is converted into a greenish-yellow glow. This feature distinguishesand other products from simple products colored with other substances (for example, cerium).

Radioactive properties of products

Uranium has a certain level of radioactivity, in view of this, the question often began to arise about whether. The answer to this depends on several factors:

1. The percentage of uranium in the product.

2. His origin.

3. isotopic composition.

4. The age of the item.

The most dangerous are products made many centuries ago. They contained enough uranium to speak of its effect on others. Later products contained less of the hazardous substance.Uranium glass gobletwith the addition of a 6% substance has gamma radiation that does not exceed the permitted limits. Despite this, beta radiation can significantly exceed the permissible values. To avoid its activity, products with the addition of uranium are recommended to be stored behind glass (for example, in sideboards or cabinets). It perfectly prevents negative radiation.

Uranium glass, compositionwhich is radioactive is not recommended for food use. Radioactive elements, when ingested, adversely affect its work and metabolism. Even when using uranium purified from impurities, the radioactivity of which becomes minimal, over time the product increases its hazard factor. This happens because of the decay products. When exposed to oxygen, the process of fission of chemical elements occurs and radiation is released. Despite this, cases of poisoning by uranium radiation when eating food from such dishes have not been recorded. It is only noted that the mortality rate of glassblowers who create products from uranium glass has always been above average.

How dangerous is the use of such products

To date, the production of uranium glass has been reduced to a minimum, and the statistics of its impact on the human body have been studied little. However, we can say that using a set of dishes with a luminescent glow as a souvenir is not dangerous. Periodic washing of glasses will also not affect the health and well-being of the owner of the collection. Similarly, it is safe to use crystal glassware, which is so rich in lead.

Methods of irradiation when using products with uranium

There are several options for possible exposure when using uranium glassware:

1. Impact on the human body of gamma rays.

2. Irradiation of human hands with beta particles.

3. Ingestion of the substance in food when using dishes made of uranium.

A study was conducted that showed that the workers involved in the procedure for delivering products from the factory to the point of sale are exposed to maximum radiation.

Conclusion

So beautifulno wonder it has fallen out of everyday use. Fans of unusual souvenirs are advised to store such products in glass sideboards and not use them for eating.