“Can glass be put into dishwashers?”
image credit: very.co.uk
There are many recommendations to avoid placing fused glass into a
dishwasher.
The main reasons given are:
·
Corrosion
·
Devitrification
·
Etching and
·
Breaking.
There are distinct differences between these effects.
Corrosion
Glass corrosion generally comes from constant contact with moisture and
has a greasy feel. As experienced by
weather or washing, the wetting of glass is not constant, and it dries between
wettings. No visible corrosion is
present on window glass and, although float glass is a little different from
fused glass, the same effect applies.
Devitrification
Devitrification occurs at much higher temperatures than those created in a dishwasher, and therefore is not a risk.
Etching
The main risk is
etching from the washing process. This can be mechanical or chemical, and
dishwashers combine both. Over time, the glass will be etched just the way lead
crystal is in a dishwasher.
Breaks
Glass breaks can occur in the dishwasher because of the shock of hot
water. Most dishwashers rinse while
heating the water, so the glass experiences only slow rises in
temperature. Float glass of 4mm can
withstand 140˚C differentials according to manufacturers. Full and tack fused glass is not as homogenous as
float glass and will be affected by smaller temperature differentials. So, there is a small risk of breaks in
dishwashers.
Additional risks
relate to the layup of the glass.
- · Tack
fused glass has a variety of thicknesses that make it more prone to breaks from
temperature differentials.
- · Contrasting
colours can react differently and split at the contact lines.
- · Large internal
bubbles can cause difficulties, which may arise from the insulating element of
the contained air, or simply because of thickness.
