Glass casting a French commercial crystal manufacturer, produce highly sculptural pieces in pate de verre. Graphite is also used in the hot forming of glass. Graphite moulds are prepared by carving into them, machining them into curved forms, or stacking them into shapes. Molten glass is poured into a mould where it is cooled until hard enough to be removed and placed into an annealing kiln to cool slowly. Glass casting Glass casting is the process in which glass objects are cast by directing molten glass into a mould where it solidifies. The technique has been used since the Egyptian period. Modern
Glass-to-metal seal directly sealed to lead glass, as it reacts with the lead oxide and reduces it to metallic lead. For sealing to lead glasses, it has to be copper-plated or an intermediate lead-free glass has to be used. Iron is prone to creating gas bubbles in glass due to the residual carbon impurities; these can be removed by heating in wet hydrogen. Plating with copper, nickel or chromium is also advised. Chromium is a highly reactive metal present in many iron alloys. Chromium may react with glass, reducing the silicon and forming crystals of chromium silicide growing into the glass and