Rumour File: How does glass spontaneously explode?

On the Rumour File this morning, 3AW Breakfast heard about a glass table spontaneously exploding last night.

Cushla Travers’ was waiting for the fire brigade to arrive at her house for an unrelated incident, when she heard a “massive bang.”

Her glass coffee table, which had nothing on it, had shattered.

3AW Breakfast received several calls from others who’ve also had glass objects, including a shower screen, a bowl, and an outdoor table, shatter spontaneously.

Simon Ross, from Eureka Glass, explained how it happens.

When glass is made it goes through a chemical change, which produces nickel sulfide. Nickel sulfide can produce crystals in glass which grow over time.

“It could take up to seven years until those crystals were big enough to trigger the glass to break,” Mr Ross told 3AW’s Kate and Quarters.

Another explanation is contamination of the glass.

Mr Ross said if old machinery is used for making glass, small pieces of the machine may end up in the glass.

“Little bits of metal can fall of the machine and drop into the glass,

“That can be at a microscopic level too,” he said.

“That can cause a bit of a defect in the glass over time.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full exploding glass story, and Simon Ross’ explanation about how it happens.