Nonglass

Nonglass is not a formal scientific category but a nonstandard label used to refer to materials that are not glass. It can encompass metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, wood, and natural minerals.

In practice, nonglass materials serve as alternatives to glass in containers, windows, and structural components. For example, plastic bottles and metal cans replace glass containers, while plastics and metals may substitute glass in glazing and panels.

Properties vary widely among nonglass materials. Glass is hard and brittle with good chemical resistance and optical clarity. Nonglass materials range from plastics, which can be lightweight and impact resistant, to metals, which are strong and conductive, to ceramics, which withstand high temperatures but can be brittle.

Environmental and manufacturing considerations differ as well. Glass is highly recyclable and chemically stable; plastics face recycling and disposal challenges; metals are recyclable but energy intensive to process; ceramics and wood have specialized handling. The term nonglass is primarily a layperson's shorthand rather than a formal category.

Common examples include polyethylene and polycarbonate plastics, aluminum and steel metals, alumina and other ceramics, wood, and fiber-reinforced composites. The boundary between nonglass and glass can be contextual, such as transparent polymers that serve as substitutes for glass or crystalline materials that do not meet the usual expectations of glass in a given application.