Raw Materials And Costs In The Flat Glass Industry

The mix of raw materials used in the production of commerical glass is known as batch & is mainly composed of 3 components, silica sand, soda ash & dolomite/limestone. Cullet is used in the fabrication of flat glass & represents 15% of the materials used. Its addition helps reduce energy. Silica sand, soda ash, dolomite & limestone represent together 99% of all raw materials used in the production of glass, excluding recycled glass. The remaining ingredients aid melting & refining reactions. Silica sand is the main component of the batch as it constitutes about 62% of the batch weight excluding recycled glass. Soda ash is one of the most expensive raw materials used in glass manufacturing & represents about 16% batch weight but about 60% of the batch cost. In terms of costs, raw materials & energy are the single largest elements, followed by overheads and prime labour.