Glass can be devised to meet almost any imaginable requirement. There are many different types of glass with different chemical and physical properties and each can be made by a slight adjustment to its chemical composition. For many specialized applications in chemistry, pharmacy, the electrical and electronics industries, optics, the construction and lighting industries, glass, or the comparatively new family of materials known as glass ceramics, may be the only practical material for the engineer to use.
The main types of glass include:
Borosilicate Glass: known for having very low coefficients of thermal expansion and used for reagent bottles
Commercial Glass: used for a variety of applications in the commercial glass industry such as windows
Glass Fibre: Uses for regular glass fiber include mats and fabrics for thermal insulation, electrical insulation, sound insulation, high-strength fabrics or heat- and corrosion-resistant fabrics
Lead Glass: Lead-containing glass is frequently used in light fixtures
Here is a nifty video on how glass is made:
