Reproducing crystal glass from three 18th-20th centuries Portuguese glass arcana

The present work aims to study the glasses commonly named crystal glass produced in Portuguese factories from the 18th to the 20th centuries through their arcana or batch books. Recipes for colorless crystal glasses were selected, analyzed, and reproduced in the laboratory. Five recipes were chosen from the Marinha Grande arcanum, five recipes from the Gaivotas’ Factory arcanum, and three recipes from the Castro and Oliveira Guerra arcanum. To characterize the composition and thermal-physical properties of reproduced glasses, different analytical techniques were used such as micro-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, µ- Raman spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, dilatometry, Vickers hardness, optical microscopy, and UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy. The selected recipes were proven viable for reproduction and the obtained glasses presented good thermal properties that allow the workability and creation of objects. It was also proven that there is a similarity in terms of chemical composition to some of the historical glasses attributed to Portuguese production in Portuguese museums.