Mirror technology
Since ancient times, the sight of its reflection has delighted people. It is no coincidence that in fairy tales, magic powers are often contained in mirrors. Of course, mirrors Shower Enclosure dubai did not appear immediately. Initially, people saw their reflection on the water surface; later people saw themselves in polished metal products. As a decorative item, the mirror appeared only in the 17th century. But the demand for reflective surfaces is still there.
Today, mirrors surround us almost everywhere: they decorate our home, serve as assistants for driving a car, help build uniquely beautiful skyscrapers, and are part of important scientific instruments such as a microscope or laser.
In fact, the mirror that we use in everyday life is not very different from the surface of the water. The rays of light hitting the water are reflected. The mirror is a smooth surface that has a glossy and opaque background that reflects light well. If we compare glass, water, and polished metal in their ability to reflect light, then we can conclude that metal and water reflect light best, but glass practically does not reflect light.
The degree and level of surface reflectivity, which is commonly understood as the amount of reflected light, can vary. However, such changes are not fundamental and not as global. Absolutely all surfaces that reflect light quite well, including mirrors, have the same properties.
Man-made mirrors appeared in ancient times. The first mirror looked like a piece of well-polished metal. Only noble persons could afford such a decor item. The presence of a mirror in the house determined the position in society. That is why mirrors were in demand, and later it became necessary to improve the technology for producing mirrors.
One of the popular methods of making mirrors in the 17th century was silvering – the application of molten silver to the back wall of a glass surface. At that time, warped glass was often used for the production of mirrors, which, reflecting the picture, distorted it. This reflection is similar to what we can see today in the “room of laughter.”
Modern technologies make it possible to make the glass, which will later be used to make a mirror, perfectly flat. These mirrors reflect light very clearly. How high-quality a mirror will depend on the materials used for its production and the time spent on manufacturing. Therefore, a small mirror, which every modern woman has in her purse, can distort a little, and bathroom mirrors have practically no flaws. The mirror used for science reflects perfectly and has no defects.
The quality of the mirror primarily depends on the raw materials used. It is known that light reflects well from smooth surfaces, which must also be impenetrable. And light reflects poorly from transparent surfaces. When manufacturing mirrors, this must be taken into account and not deviated from the basic rules of production technology.
Improvements in mirror technology are aimed at making the glass smoother as well as ensuring that the metal coating is applied at a uniform thickness. This is very important because if the back layer is not uniformly applied during the production of the mirror, distortion is possible.
Raw material
For the production of mirrors, first of all, glass is used, which itself reflects light poorly (only 4%). However, glass is a fairly uniform material, especially when polished well. There are no indentations on such a treated mirror, which in turn allows the application of a layer of reflective metal. After the metal coating is applied, the surface of the future mirror becomes even smoother. But this is not the only reason why glass partition in dubai is used to make mirrors. Glass can be molded, that is, given a wide variety of shapes. The glass plate is made from pure sand or silicon dioxide. The glass that is made from silicon dioxide is called fused silica. Under the influence of high temperatures, quartz is melted, and then sheets of the required shape are cast from it.
The basic raw materials used for the manufacture of mirrors must have a perfectly even coating. Usually, metal is used. Gold is great for these purposes, as well as chrome or silver. Initially, only silver was used. However, on fairly old mirrors those have a silver coating in the background; dark stripes can often be seen. This is due to the fact that, in the manufacture of the mirror, a thick, but rather inhomogeneous, the silver coating was used. This leads to the fact that the mirror fades and scratches over time.
Until 1940, mercury was used to make mirrors. This raw material very well and evenly lay on the glass surface and does not tarnish at all. However, this material was soon discontinued because this toxic material is very difficult to store. Currently, an aluminum coating is used for the production of mirrors.
Mirrors used in science are most often coated with silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. This type of coating is used not only as an insulating coating but also as a protective layer. This coating is more difficult to damage. Mirrors used for scientific purposes can also be coated with a layer of silver or gold. These mirrors are capable of reflecting the required amount of light.
Mirror structure
One of the main parts of a mirror is its surface. Those mirrors that surround us at home, according to their characteristics, correlate with glass, which is inserted into windows or photo frames. Glass for a mirror must be very smooth and also have increased strength. Specialists engaged in the manufacture of mirrors skillfully select the required glass thickness. Thick glass, of course, is more durable, but at the same time, very heavy products.
The mirrors used in science have a special coating structure that is perfectly smooth and has a specially created curvature, reminiscent of what is designed in the production of spectacle lenses. The structure of mirrors is very important for science; therefore it must correspond to the level of lenses used in ophthalmology. The mirror can not only focus on the light but also diffuse it. It is very important that the design of the mirror matches the type of coating applied to the backing layer.
The material with which it is planned to cover the glass during production is selected according to the requirements for the final result. The choice depends on what level of strength and degree of reflection is required. The coating can be applied to either the back or the front of the mirror surface. The coating is usually applied to the back of the glass as it is less fragile. In addition, the back of most mirrors is additionally protected with plastic or metal plates that keep the mirror from getting air and scratching from sharp objects.
Those mirrors that will be used in the scientific field are manufactured with great care, taking into account characteristics such as the color and length of the rays of light. For mirrors in force, an aluminum coating must be used. However, if a mirror is needed to reflect infrared rays, then it is better to choose a silver or gold coating. In rare cases, a dielectric coating is used that reflects infrared radiation well.
Summing up, it can be noted that when choosing a coating for a mirror, you need to pay attention to durability and reflective characteristics. In this case, most often, preference is given to durable mirrors. The mirrors used in the scientific industry are often coated on the front rather than the back of the glass. This is necessary so that the light passing through the glass is not distorted, which is very important for most scientific experiments.
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https://uconnect.ae/read-blog/19363
