A bottle is a specialized type of glass container. It is usually a cylindrical shape with a mouth and sometimes a spout, and is used for storing liquids or powders. It is also available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, although it is most commonly used for wine or liquor.
A glass bottle can be made from many different types of materials, including glass, sand, clay, or other natural resources. Some glass materials are more resistant than others to heat, so they are used to make bottles that will not break or melt easily.
Bottles can be divided into two main types – those that are filled with liquids, such as wine or liquor, and those that are used for powders or other dry substances. Unlike solid objects, such as stones or bricks, which can be broken into smaller pieces and re-used, glass is often discarded after use because of its durability.
Historically, glass was made from a mixture of raw materials in the correct proportions before it was melted. Some of the materials used are lime, magnesia and alumina. Other chemicals are added to improve the glass’s colour and strength, such as potassium aluminosilicate (KAS).
The process of making glass can take thousands of years. The first step is to mix the raw materials in a special batch. The batch is then heated to a high temperature, which forces the ingredients into a viscous state. Then, it is cooled quickly enough to prevent a regular crystalline structure from developing.
Once the glass has been cooled, the mixture is transferred to a mold where it is shaped into the desired form. The most common bottle molds are block molds, parison molds and blow molds.
Block mold – Alternative name for the first part of a parison mold on a press-and-blow machine which was a single “block” (Miller & Morin 2004). Parason mold – Alternate name for the second blow mold on a machine that was a two-piece “parison” and “blown” piece (Tooley 1953). The term is also used to refer to the base plate or base forming portion of a parison mold.
Ejection mark – A circular notch on the base of some bottles, especially those with narrow necks and jars, that were produced by some press-and-blow machines. This was a sign that the bottle had been pushed out of the first parison mold by a centered metal rod before being moved to the second blow mold.
Ghost seams – Lightly imprinted and meandering mold seams on the body, neck and base of certain machine-made bottles from a blow-and-blow machine. These are very strong evidence of the bottle being manufactured by a machine.
Depending on the specific bottle, bubbles can be a symptom of age or other factors. Generally, large bubbles are a sign of age while small ones may indicate the bottle is newer.
A bottle containing liquids is a great source of bacteria and other microorganisms. Therefore, it is important to clean the equipment that is used to feed your baby before and after each feeding. This is especially true if the bottle contains milk. This is because milk can be a good medium for bacteria to grow and can also increase the amount of time that a nipple takes to fill up. To keep your bottle sterile, be sure to wipe the top of the bottle and nipple with a cloth or paper towel after each feeding.
