Tempered glass, commonly referred to as toughened glass, is a kind of safety glass that has had specific heat treatment applied to it in order to improve its natural characteristics. This clever method involves heating the glass to very high temperatures and then quickly cooling it down. The result is a material that is much stronger and more durable than tempered glass. With its sleek windscreens, modern buildings’ facades, strong oven doors, and secure display cases, tempered glass has proven its usefulness and dependability in many fields.
Its better qualities, along with its good looks and ability to fit easily into many designs, have made it the material of choice for diligent architects, engineers, and manufacturers. In this article, we will examine in-depth into the fascinating world of tempered glass, including its features, benefits, and the cutting-edge manufacturing process that turns regular glass into a much better version of itself.
What is Tempered Glass?
Tempered glass also known as toughened glass, is a type of safety glass that is heated to a certain degree to increase its strength and make it shatter resistant. Tempered glass is typically four to five times stronger than regular annealed glass of the same thickness. This makes it highly resistant to thermal, mechanical, and environmental stresses. However, tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled, or altered after the tempering process, as it would compromise its strength and durability.
The Manufacturing Process of Tempered Glass
The manufacturing process of tempered glass involves several steps to reach its unique strength and safety properties. Here’s a detailed process of the tempering process:
- Cutting and Edging: The glass sheets are first cut into the desired size and shape using particular glass tools. The edges are then smoothed and polished to remove any rough or sharp surfaces.
- Annealing: After cutting and smoothing the sheets, the glass is heated in a special annealing oven to a temperature of around 650 degree celsius. This process will help relieve internal stresses that may have developed during the first step.
- Tempering: The annealed glass is then transferred to a tempering furnace, where it is heated to a temperature of around 650 degree celsius. At this temperature, the glass becomes soft and pliable.
- Quenching: The heated glass is then rapidly cooled or ‘quenched’ by lowing jets of air or immersing it in a molten salt bath. This rapid cooling process creates compressive stresses on the surface of the glass and tensile strength on the interior.
- Inspection & Quality Control: After the quenching process, the tempered glass is inspected thoroughly for any defects, and damages on the glass surface. Moreover, other control measures are taken to ensure that the glass meets the required safety and strength standards.
- Cutting & Edging (if required): In some situations, the tempered glass may have to be additionally cut or edged to specific sizes after the tempering process. However, this can only be possible using special equipment and techniques, or else the glass can shatter.
- Cleaning & Packaging: The tempered glass is then cleaned and packaged for transportation and installation.
Benefits of Tempered Glass
Tempered glass possesses several significant benefits over regular annealed glass. These benefits enable tempered glass to become a preferred choice for various applications. Here are some key benefits of tempered glass:
- Increased Strength
The tempering process increases the strength of the glass by upto four to five times compared to regular annealed glass of the same thickness. This enhanced strength makes the glass more resistant to impact, scratches and other damages.
- Safety Concerns
When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into small/tiny relatively harmless pieces with dull edges rather than sharp edged shards. This property of tempered glass reduces the risk of serious injury, making it a safer option to opt for while choosing windows, doors, or display cases.
- Thermal Resistance
Tempered glass has a great and improved thermal resistance compared to regular glass. It can withstand sudden temperature changes without cracking, or shattering, making it optimal for applications like oven doors, fireplace enclosures, and hot tub covers.
- Sound Insulation
Tempered glass can provide better sound insulation over regular annealed glass, making it a suitable choice for applications where noise reduction is needed, such as office partitions, or soundproof rooms.
Common Applications of Tempered Glass
Due to its extensive and compelling properties we read above, tempered glass offers widespread applications in various industries and products. Here are some of the most common applications of tempered glass:
- Automotive Industry: Tempered glass is widely used in the automotive industry in the form of car windshields, rear windows, and side windows due to its shatter-resistant feature. It also provides enhanced safety to passengers in times of sudden impact or accident.
- Furniture & Appliances: Tempered glass is popular in many furniture and appliances, including tabletops, shelving units, refrigerator and oven doors, and microwave oven windows. These applications are suitable due to the glass’s thermal and impact resistant property.
- Architecture: Tempered glass is used widely in architecture applications, such as, curtain walls, storefronts, skylights, and interior partitions. Its strength and safety features make it suitable for use in areas where impact resistance is essential.
- Solar Panels: Tempered glass is used as a protective cover for solar panels. It helps in providing a durable, and impact-resistant covering for the panels, also shielding it from environmental conditions.
Comparing Tempered Glass with Other Glass Types
Tempered vs. laminated glass
Tempered glass and laminated glass are two types of safety glass that differ in their construction and properties. Tempered glass is a single layer of glass that has been exposed to heat treatment and rapidly cooled in order to increase its strength and resistance to shattering. After being exposed to impact, tempered glass breaks into small, generally harmless cuboid-shaped pieces. On the other hand, laminated glass is made up of two or more layers of glass that are bound together with a plastic interlayer. The plastic interlayer that is generally used is polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or an ion plastic polymer.
When laminated glass breaks, the interlayer keeps the pieces of glass together so they don’t fly apart. This makes the glass safer and more contained. Tempered glass is better at surface compression strength and scratch resistance, but laminated glass is better at impact resistance because it has a barrier that absorbs energy. Furthermore, in comparison to tempered glass, laminated glass offers superior sound insulation and natural protection against ultraviolet light wavelengths.
Tempered vs. annealed glass
Tempered glass and annealed glass are two different kinds of glass with very different uses and features. An annealed glass is a basic type of glass that hasn’t been treated additionally after it was manufactured. It’s not very strong, and when it breaks, it leaves behind sharp, broken pieces that could be dangerous. Unlike regular glass, tempered glass has been through a process where it is heated and quickly cooled, which makes the surface contract and the inside tension. For glass of the same thickness, this method makes it four to five times stronger than annealed glass. When tempered glass breaks, it shatters into tiny dull-edged pieces that are basically harmless.
Conclusion
Tempered glass has become an indispensable material in today’s world. It offers unique properties, such as increased strength, safety, and versatility. The tempering process results in multiple favorable features that make it an ideal choice for a range of applications from the automotive industry to solar panels. As a result of this,the demand for tempered glass continues to grow, opening up new applications and innovations.
FAQs
- How is tempered glass made?
Tempered glass is made by heating annealed glass to a high temperature (650 degree celsius) and then rapidly cooling it with forced air jets or in a molten salt bath.
- What are the main uses of tempered glass?
The main uses of tempered glass include car windshields, glass windows, and oven doors.
- Why is tempered glass considered safer than regular glass?
Tempered glass is safer because it breaks into small, relatively harless pieces that reduces the risk of injury from sharp shards.
- Can tempered glass be cut or resized?
No, tempered glass cannot be cut or resized after the tempering process as it would compromise its strength and safety properties.