Glass and inorganic materials

The Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research trains students in the fields of chemistry, materials science, and other natural sciences. For many years, the institute’s research has focused on glass chemistry and materials designed for optics and photonics. Part of the institute belongs to the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences and houses a teaching collection on glass chemistry that is unique in Germany. Comprising several hundred objects, the collection started with the institute’s foundation more than 50 years ago. Besides objects from Jena's glass research, it includes a collection of technical glass defects, compiled in cooperation with the industry, and a collection on the corrosion of refractory materials. Teaching materials also include tinted and speciality glasses, glass products (e.g. optical fibres and tubes, foam glasses), and objects related to glass technology.