Study of the composition of glasses produced at the Zhabinsky factory in the first third of the 18^th century

Abstract

The results of studying the composition of glasses from the site of the Zhabinsky factory, one of the first Russian glass factories founded in the north-west of Russia, are presented. More than 200 samples of historical glass fragments of dishes, as well as the remains of glass on the walls of melting pots were studied using X-ray fluorescence analysis. The data obtained made it possible to classify glasses depending on the recipe and the raw materials used in their production. The reliability of the determination of the compositions was confirmed on randomly selected samples by the ICP AES method. The presence of cobalt impurities was qualitatively determined from the characteristic bands in the absorption spectra of the visible region. The main group of finds is represented by potash-calcium glass obtained using plant ash (ash glass) or purified potash (potash glass). A separate group includes potash-lime glasses obtained through addition of lime to the batch. The nature of the coloration of the studied glasses with iron (+2), iron (+3), cobalt (+2), and also due to the charge transfer iron (+3) — sulfur (–2) is discussed. Potassium-lead glasses with a high lead content found at the site of the plant serve as an example of the first Russian colorless lead crystal. The results represent the first systematic study of the composition of glass produced in Russia in the time of Peter the Great. A comparative analysis of the compositions of glasses from the Zhabinsky and Lavinsky factories has been carried out.