In 1971, Art Chodos and Arden Albee of Caltech contracted Corning Glass Works to produce synthetic glasses containing a number of elements at about 1 weight percent, to be used as electron microprobe trace element standards. Three glasses were produced, 95IRV, 95IRW, and 95IRX (informally known as Corning/Caltech glasses GLV, GLW, and GLX, respectively, in the microanalysis community), which contain the following elements in a Ca-Mg-Al borosilicate glass matrix:

95IRV K Ti Cr Fe Ce Hf

95IRW V Mn Co Cu Cs Ba La Th

95IRX Ni Zn Rb Sr Y Zr Pb U

The source materials for each oxide were weighed-in at 0.80 percent, and each glass was batched in 2 pound lots and drawn into a 0.25 inch cane that was cut into 9 rods of approximately 5 inch length. Initial distribution to end-users was of 1/8 inch slices from the beginning of each cane, as well as sufficient material for chemical analysis to be performed by volunteers. The glass standards were formed in much the same way as the NBS 612, 614, and 616-series trace element glasses, but used a different matrix composition to avoid problems with alkali migration under the electron beam.