Crystal Glass Order, 2000

L.N.184 of 2000

QUALITY CONTROL

(EXPORTS, IMPORTS AND LOCAL GOODS) ACT

(CAP. 225)

Crystal Glass Order, 2000

(Order No. 45 of 2000)

IN exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Quality

Control (Exports, Imports and Local Goods) Act, the Malta Standards

Authority has made the following order:-

1 The title of this Order is the Crystal Glass Order, 2000 and

may be referred to as Order No. 45 of 2000.

1.2 This Mandatory Order shall come into effect as from 1st

January, 200 1.

List or Crystal Glass categories

N Description of category

Labelling

Characteristics

t:x:l

Shape of

Refractive

Metal

VI

Remarks

Density

Explanatory notes

Surface hardness

-.)

symbol

index

oxides (%)

g

i

h

e

c

a b

f

d

~3.00

Round label.

x

PbO

1 FULL LEAD CRYSTAL 30%

Description may

~30%

be freely used,

CRISTAL SUPERIEUR 30%

Colour

whatever the

gold

HOCHBLEIKRISTALL 30%

country of origin

VOLLOODKRISTAL 30%

0~ lcm

or the country of

CRISTALLO SUPERIORE 30

destination.

2 LEAD CRYSTAL 24%

x

~2.90

PbO

The percentage

~24%

CRISTAL AU PLOMP 24%

figure refers to the

BLEIKRISTALL 24%

lead oxide content

LOODKRISTAL 24%

CRISTALLO AL PIOMBO 24%

Square

~ 2.45

nD~ 1.520

Only the

3 CRYSTAL GLASS, CRYSTALLIN

ZnO

label.

description in the

BaO

D

English language

PbO

Colour

may be used

~O

silver

single or

together

Side ~ lcrn

~ 10%

N Description of category

Labelling

Characteristics

Refractive

Shape of

Metal

Remarks

Explanatory notes

Density

Surface hardness

symbol

index

oxides (%)

g

i

h

a b

e

c

f

d

Label in the

~2.40

Vickers

BaO

4 CRYSTALGLASS,CRYSTALLIN

shape of an

-550± 20

PbO

Kp

equilateral

l:1

triangle.

single or

together

Colour

~ 10%

silver

~

Side

lcm

x : nD ~ 1.545 as criterion for an additional non-destructive determination of the products (at the time of import).

t:d

VI

-....l

\0

1 This Mandatory Order shall apply to the products falling

within heading No. 70.13 of the Common Customs Tariff.

2.2 This Mandatory Order shall not apply to products intended

exclusively for export.

Methods for determining the chemical and physical properties of categories of

crystal glass

1. CHEMICAL ANALYSES

1.1

BaO and PbO

1.1.1 Determination ofthe combination BaO + PbO

Weigh, to within 0.0001 grammes, approximately 0-5 grammes of powdered glass

and place in a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add 10 millilitres of a 15%

solution of sulphuric acid and 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heat in a sand bath until

white fumes are given off. Allow to cool and treat again with 10 millilitres hydrofluoric

acid. Heat until reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool and rinse the sides of the

dish with water. Heat until reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool, carefully add

10 miUilitres of water, then transfer to a 400 millilitres beaker. Rinse the dish several

times with a 10% sulphuric acid solution and dilute to 100 millilitres with same solution.

Boil for 2-3 minutes. Leave to stand overnight.

Pass through a filtering crucible of 4 porosity, wash first of all with a 10% solution

of sulphuric acid, then two or three times with ethyl alcohol. Dry for one hour in an

oven at 150°C. Weigh BaS0 4 + PbS0 4 •

1.1.2 Determination ofBaO

Weigh, to within 0.0001 grams, about 0-5 grams of powdered glass and place in

a platinum dish. Moisten with water and add 10 millilitres of hydrofluoric acid and 5

millilitres perchloric acid. Heat in sand bath until white fumes are given off.

Allow to cool and add a further 10 millilitres hydrofluoric acid. Heat until

reappearance of white fumes. Allow to cool and rinse the sides of the dish with distilled

water. Heat again and evaporate until almost dry. Start again with 50 millilitres of a

10% solution of hydrochloric acid and heat gently to aid dissolution. Transfer to a 400

millilitres beaker and dilute to 200 millilitres with water. Bring to boil and pass a

current of hydrogen sulphide through the hot solution. When the precipitate of lead

sulphide drops to the bottom of the beaker, tum off the hydrogen sulphide. Pass through

a fine filter paper and wash with cold water saturated with hydrogen sulphide.

Boil the filtrates and then, if necessary, reduce them by evaporation to 300

millilitres. Add to boiling mixture 10 millilitres of a 10% solution of sulphuric acid.

Remove from heat and leave to stand for at least four hours.

Pass through a fine filter paper, wash with cold water. Calcine the precipitate to

1050·C, and weigh the BaS0 4 •

1.2

Determination of ZnO

Evaporate the filtrates from the separation of BaS0 4 so as to reduce their volume

to 200 millilitres. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence of methyl red and _add 20

millilitres of N/lO sulphuric acid. Adjust the pH to 2 (pH meter) by adding N/lO

sulphuric acid or Nil 0 caustic soda whichever the case, and precipitate the zinc sulphide

in the cold by passing a current of hydrogen sulphide. Let the precipitate settle for four

hours, then collect on a fine filter paper. Wish with cold water saturated with hydrogen

sulphide. Dissolve the precipitate on the filter by pouring through it 25 millilitres of a

hot 10% solution of hydrochloric acid. Wash the filter with boiling water until a volume

of about 150 millilitres is obtained. Neutralise with ammonia in the presence of litmus

paper, then add 1-2 grams solid urotropine to buffer the solution to about pH 5. Add a

few drops of a 0-5% freshly prepared aqueous solution of xylenol orange and titrate

with an N/lO solution of Complexon III until the pink changes to citron yellow.

1.3

Determination of KzO

by precipitation and weighing of potassium tetraphenylborate

Procedure: 2 grammes of glass are attacked, after crushing and sieving, by

2 millilitres concentrated HN0 3

15 millilitres HCI0 4

25 millilitres HF

in a platinum dish on a water-bath then in a sand bath. After dense fumes of

perchloric acid have been given off (continue until dry), dissolve with 20 millilitres of

hot water and 2-3 milllitres concentrated HCI.

Transfer to a 200 millilitres graduated flask and adjust to volume with distilled

water.

Reagents: 6% solution of sodium tetraphenylborate: dissolve 1.5 grams of the

reagent in 250 millilitres distilled water. Remove the light cloudiness which remains

by adding 1 gram of hydrated alumina. Shake for five minutes and filter, taking care to

re-filter the first 20 millilitres obtained.

Washing solution for the precipitate: prepare a little of the potassium salt by

precipitation in a solution of about 0.1 grams KCI to 50 millilitres N/lO HCl into

which the solution of tetraphenylborate is poured while stirring, until precipitation

ceases. Filter through a sinter. Wash with distilled water. Dry in a desiccator at room

temperature. Then pour 20-30 milligrams of that salt into 250 millilitres of distilled

water. Stir from time to time. After thirty minutes, add 0.5-1 gram of hydrated alumina.

Stir for a few minutes. Filter.

Method of operation: Take an aliquot of the acid digest corresponding to about

10 milligrams of K 2 0. Dilute to about 100 millilitres Slowly add the reagent solution,

about 10 millilitres per assumed 5 milligrams of K 2 0, while gently stirring. Allow to

stand for a maximum of fifteen minutes then filter through a tared sintered crucible of

porosity 3 or 4. Wash with washing solution. Dry for thirty minutes at 120°C.

Conversion factor 0.13143 for K 2 0.

Tolerances

1A

± 0.1 in absolute value for each determination. If the analysis gives a lower value,

within the tolerances, than the limits fixed (30,24 or 10%), the average of at least three

analyses must be taken. If that average is greater than or equal to 29.95,23.95 or 9.95

respectively, the glass must be accepted in the category corresponding to 30, 24 and

10% respectively.

2. PHYSICAL DETERMINATIONS

2.1

Density

Method by hydrostatic balance to within ± 0.01. A sample of at least 20 grams is

weighed in air and weighed immersed in distilled water at 20°C.

2.2

Refractive index

The index is measured on the refractometer to within ± 0.001.

2.3

Microhardness

Vickers hardness is to be measured according to the standard ASTM E 92-65

(Revision 1965) but using a load of 50 grams and taking an average of 15 determinations.

1 The composition, characteristics of manufacture and

Marketing of crystal

labelling of the products referred to in paragraph 2.1, and all forms of

publicity for such products shall conform to the definitions and rules

laid down in this Order and in the Schedules thereto.

3.2 The descriptions in column (b) of the First Schedule may

not be used commercially for products which do not have the the

corresponding characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) of the First

Schedule.

If a product covered by this Order bears one of the

3.3

descriptions listed in column (b) of the First Schedule, it may also bear

the corresponding identifying symbol shown and described in columns

(h) and (i) of the First Schedule.

3.4

Where a trade mark, the name of an undertaking or any

other inscription contains, as a main part, as an adjective or as a root, a

description appearing in columns (b) and (c) of the First Schedule or a

description liable to be confused therewith, the trade mark, name or

inscription shall immediately be preceded by the following, in very

prominent lettering

(a) the description of the product, where that product has

characteristics specified in columns (d) to (g) ofthe First Schedule;

(b) a statement of the exact nature of the product, where

that product does not have characteristics specified in columns (d)

to (g) of the First Schedule.

3.5

The description and identifying symbols given in the First

Schedule may appear on one and the same label.

1 The methods laid down in the Second Schedule, and only Methods of

those methods, shall be used to verify that products bearing descriptions analysis.

and identifying symbols have the characteristics corresponding thereto

as specified in columns (d) to (g) of the First Schedule.