Uranium glass, vaseline, Canary – product names are added into the dye oxides of uranium. Radioactive products? How is it that the products for daily life were produced using 92-octane element (on the periodic table D. I. Mendeleev), the same as for the atomic bomb? It turns out that glass is extremely dangerous? Or is it not?
The German chemist Martin Heinrich klaproth in 1789 he received “new metal" from the black mineral is mined in the mines Joachimstal in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic), calling it uranium. He genuinely thought it was pure metal - to test this hypothesis in contemporary terms, he did not. Why "Uranus"?
Just eight years before, in 1871, Frederick William Herschel (German astronomer who worked in England) have discovered a new planet in the Solar system, seventh. It is fifteen times by weight larger than the Earth. Herschel named it Uranus after the Greek mythological wife of the all powerful Gaia (Earth).
Only fifty years later, in 1841, French chemist Eugene Paliga proved that “a new, eighteenth account of metal”, obtained by Laprotomy, is an oxide (the composition – oxygen). Peligo got pure metal, but in the history of the discovery of uranium came in he did not, and klaproth.
Almost a century before 1896, uranium was not in great demand in metallurgy, and only after the discovery of the properties of radioactivity of the element it raised the interest of scientists. But until 1939, when he published the results of experiments on the fission of the uranium ore was extracted only for radioactive radium.
The Use in Europe of natural uranium oxide refers to the first century BC: fragments of pottery, covered with yellow glaze, found in the excavations of Pompeii.
During the archaeological works in Italy on the promontory of Posilippo (Gulf of Naples) in 1912, were found pieces of the yellow. Colored glass in its composition contained one percent of uranium oxide. This finding dates back to 79 BC.
For the production of enamels and mosaic of glass of this period in Europe were imported ore from Africa.
According to the extant written sources from China local glassmakers experimented in the 16th and 17th centuries with the addition of uranium ore to impart colour to the glass. Products of uranium glass from this period has not yet been found.
Natural oxides of the metal, which is often accompanied by the extraction of silver ores in Europe, was seen glassblowers – attempts to change the color of the glass has taken them a very long time.
The Silver mines of the Habsburgs, located in Bohemia, was full of natural ores of uranium – the pitchblende (uraninite). And, of course, the masters of glass factories have always wanted to use a natural dye to get a colored products. The third generation of the famous dynasty of masters Riedel, Franz Xaver Anton, in the early nineteenth century experimented with the filling color of glass products. The best was the addition of the charge of uranium oxide was shade from yellow to deep green, with uranium glass under the rays of the rising and the setting sun glowed a greenish, which gave him some magical mystery.
In 1830, the dynastic successor to Josef Riedel (nephew Franz, who married his daughter), having studied the experimental data of the test, established high-tech production of yellow (different shades), green (to dark) ruby and uranium glass. Until 1848 (the year of the death of Josef Riedel) production - vases, goblets, cups, puzyrikov, buttons, beads, Increased.
At the same time, English master presented her to Queen Victoria two color candle holder made of uranium glass that documented podtverjdeno. This fact suggests that not only in the Czech Republic but also in England, the master practiced a new recipe for dyeing glass products.
Increasing production volumes throughout Europe (France, Netherlands, Belgium, England) made glass popular. In only one of the Czech Republic in the factories Joachimstal in Bohemia until 1898 produced over 1600 tons of various products of uraniumglass.
In 1830, the Gusevskiy plant in Russia began production of similar products.
Yellow and green uranium glass was relatively inexpensive. His release was barium and calcium mixture with the addition of potassium and boron, which gave a more intense glow.
Until 1896 (the discovery of radioactivity by A. Becquerel) the extraction and use of uranium ore have no limits, was only the capacity to separate from them, of radium.
Uranium glass under UV absorption transfers energy to another area of the emission spectrum – green. And this secondary radiation is scattered, not continuing to the incident beam. This property is called fluorescence. Such a feature does not have all painted yellow and green products, but only uranium glass. Photos of objects under UV radiation proves the authenticity and collectible value of items.
Uranium glass with a high degree of fluorescence should contain from 0.3 to 6% of uranium oxide . The increase in the concentration reduces the luminescence, as well as the contents in the charge lead, but increases the radioactivity (radiation).
Master glassmakers, like all the others until 1939, did not know about the toxicity of uranium and its radiation danger. Direct touching ores, spending long periods with them in dangerous proximity led to frequent obscure diseases, often ending with the death of masters.
But the products of uranium glass were spread around the world, and no one felt any discomfort and not get sick by being close to them. Why?
The radiation Level of the products of uranium glass low – from 20 to 1500 MD per hour, the allowable background limit – 30 Mr/HR. This means that, if the number of items of uranium glass, it is necessary to stand by them continuously for more than ten years to have radiation sickness.
Before the Second World war, uranium was not interested physicists. Only in 1939, when was the model of a chain reaction, releasing enormous amounts of energy, based on uranium began to develop a model of a nuclear bomb. And even then it took developed deposits of uranium ore.
Production of uranium glass was not terminated until almost the 50-ies of the twentieth century.
All uranium deposits in all countries was taken into account, and in England, from the producers of "vaseline glass" was seized not only the raw materials but also finished products.
At the moment uranium glass produced in minimal quantities in the United States and the Czech Republic. As dyes used depleted uranium obtained in the process of enriching uranium for nuclear fuel. Utensils made of uranium glass, as well as other products, getting adequate dear, however, she remains quite popular.
If you carefully review the reserves of the old (Soviet times) dishes in grandma's cupboard at the house in the attic, you can find yellow or green transparent dishes, which would probably glow in the rays of the early sun. Artifacts can become yellow or green salt shakers, ashtrays, vases, glasses, buttons, beads, even the old green door (window) handle.
At the flea markets all of the above. Bargain, can become the owner of exquisite rarities.
Make Sure that the items of uranium glass, you can use the UV lamp and Geiger counter. Just so do these collectors.
Due To the fact that the uranium glass were produced EN masse, the population has preserved a large number of objects yellow and green. In some cases they are of historical interest, sometimes – antique, collectible.
A Vase of uranium glass, presented in catalogues of the galleries of many countries, made in different styles, from Biedermeier (nineteenth century) to Art Deco (the twentieth).
For collectors of interest also figures of animals and birds from uranium glass, vials, and cups, tableware - plates, sosnitsy, saucers, glasses, sets for wine.
In English-speaking countries uranium glass in the twentieth century became known as the “vaseline” because of the similarity of color with the same common ointment. Glass other than clear, yellow and green, has subtypes – the carnival (with coloured inserts), Depression glass (all products, regardless of the style, released in the USA during the great Depression), custard (an opaque pale yellow), jadeite (opaque pale green), Burmese (with opaque shadespale pink to yellow).
Na2U2O7 - uranate of sodium - was used by artists as a yellow pigment. Of porcelain and ceramics (glaze, enamels), black, brown, green and yellow colors were used in the uranium oxides of different oxidation States. The uranyl nitrate was used in the early twentieth century in photography - to enhance negatives and for toning, staining the positives in brown color.
Article in other languages:
KK: https://tostpost.com/kk/y-zh-ne-otbasy/41085-uran-shyny-b-yymdar-uran-shyny-foto.html
UK: https://tostpost.com/uk/d-m-s-m-ya/41586-uranove-sklo-virobi-z-uranovogo-skla-foto.html
Alin Trodden - author of the article, editor
"Hi, I'm Alin Trodden. I write texts, read books, and look for impressions. And I'm not bad at telling you about it. I am always happy to participate in interesting projects."
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