Ordinary glass is a good insulator but is too brittle to be used for anything but scientific instrument part s, accumulator container and for certain other special purposes. It is an inorganic material made by fusion of different metallic oxides. It is normally insoluble in water and the usual organic solvents. Different oxides involved in the manufacture of glass are those of silicon, boron, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, lead etc.
Application of glass:
(1) Glass is used in the production of glass fibre for making tapes similar to cotton or silk tapes.
(2) It is used very widely as moulded insulating devices such as electrical brushes, fuse body's insulators etc.
(3) It is used as a dielectric in capacitors.
(4) Electrical lamps, Radio and television tubes, laminated boards etc also using glass in large quantity although not as conventional insulator.