In the 21st century, one of our primary concerns is ensuring the safety of our homes and buildings. Large windows and glass walls are aesthetically pleasing, but they also pose a security risk. To address this issue, various safety glass products have been developed to prevent forced entry and accidents. Tempered and laminated glass are two popular options.
What are tempered and laminated glass and how are they made? Read on to find out.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF SAFETY GLASS:
The manufacturing process of safety glass varies based on its intended use. It undergoes special treatment to increase its strength and durability for specific purposes.
To make tempered glass, standard glass undergoes a series of processes to become stronger. The process includes heating, high-pressure and chemical treatments, among others.
The glass sheets are heated to high temperatures, then rapidly cooled. This quick cooling hardens the outer layer of the glass and gives it tensile stress in the center, making it much more resilient and strong. This process is referred to as tempering.
Laminated glass is made by fusing layers of glass together with layers of adhesive resins. The most commonly used adhesive is Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB). This fusion takes place under heat and pressure, making the glass compact and unbreakable. The glass is then heated to remove air pockets and molded into the desired shape.
The strength of laminated glass can be increased by adding more layers of glass and resin. The resin layer in laminated glass makes it stretchable and holds it together in case of impact.
COMPARISON BETWEEN LAMINATED AND TEMPERED GLASS:
In addition to their manufacturing processes, laminated and tempered glass differ in several other aspects, such as:
While both types of safety glass offer protection, they each have their own unique strengths. Laminated glass can withstand being hit by a bullet and doesn't shatter, while tempered glass is able to resist substantial force. The layering in laminated glass makes it 100 times stiffer and five times stronger than standard glass, while the strength of tempered glass comes from its exposure to heat and pressure during production. Tempered glass is four times stronger than annealed glass.
The purpose of safety glass is to resist breakage, and while it cannot be completely immune, it is designed to cause minimal damage in the event of a break. Tempered glass may break into small pieces upon impact, but these pieces have blunt edges, resulting in less harm. This property makes it significantly more durable than standard glass, which shatters into sharp-edged pieces that are more dangerous.