Abstract:

Glass is the most transformative material in human history, the “Age of glass,” and this is how we get to sustainability — and for that reason, it has been suggested that we are living in an age of glass. The United Nations has designated 2022 the International Year of Glass to commemorate one of the most transformative materials in human history. With the development of new glass technologies and the emergence of new products, the positive impact of glass on the world continues to expand, and it will also help mankind cope with the challenges of global sustainable development.

Glass, which can be seen everywhere in our life, is one of the most important materials to promote the development of modern human civilization, and has a lasting and far-reaching influence on modern human society. It is not only widely used in construction, automotive, household goods and packaging, but also a key material in cutting-edge fields such as energy, biomedicine, information and communication, electronics, aerospace and optoelectronics.

For this reason, it has been suggested that we live in a glass age. The United Nations has designated 2022 the International Year of Glass to commemorate one of the most transformative materials in human history. With the development of new glass technologies and the emergence of new products, the positive impact of glass on the world continues to expand, and it will also help mankind cope with the challenges of global sustainable development.

The history of glass development is replete with milestones that changed the human world forever. Archaeological findings and historical documents show that glass became a luxury item very early on, was widely used and had important social functions. Ancient Westerners even thought that the breath of a glassblower was comparable to the wisdom of a philosopher.

The role of glass in humanity’s cultural and physical heritage has expanded over the past millennium. In the last century, glass has dominated our building skylines, and solar panels play an important role in the energy market. At the same time, glass also became the basis for the development of science and technology. From the birth of the telescope and microscope to modern society, photoconductive glass revolutionized electrostatic printing, and then the controlled crystallization technology of glass led to the birth of glass ceramics, and glass fiber led to the global communication revolution.

As an important auxiliary material for building sustainable societies, glass can help humanity solve some of the major challenges facing the world, thereby continuously improving human lives.