Lead Glass (aka Crystal or Lead Crystal)
Tupperware, made from HPDE, became a product defined by a ‘burp’, the sound the material made when you peeled away the lid and air was sucked into the soft, waxy container. Lead crystal is also a material defined through sound, in this case the ‘ping’. Lead glass, or lead crystal as it is also known, signifies luxury, the resonance and ‘ping’ being the way most people assess its quality. It is associated with diamonds and pearls, ostentation and wealth. For anybody interested in chemistry, this is the result of the addition of lead oxide – 30 per cent for English full-lead crystal – which replaces the lime that is used in the more conventional soda-lime glass.
The introduction of lead into the recipe for ...
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