As its name suggests, safety glass is designed to be safe because it does not injure when breaks. There are two major types of safety glass available: tempered and heat-strengthened. Tempered glass, also known as toughened glass, is being cooled at a rate much faster than heat-strengthened glass while strengthened glass is cooled at a rate quicker than regular annealed glass.
Tempered Glass
Toughened glass is created by heating regular annealed glass which is cooled right away with air blown uniformly onto both glass surfaces, a process is called air quenching. The purpose of rapidly cooling the glass after heating is to increase the compression forces on its surface as well as the tension force inside it. As such, tempered glass is much stronger than regular annealed glass of the same thickness and size by four times.
The process of tempering the glass makes it more toughened to cope with forces such as impact, heat, and wind. However, it does alter the light transmission or chemical composition of this safety glass. It also does not change the rate of the glass in terms of transmitting heat or expanding when heated.
Heat-Strengthened Glass
This safety glass is also created by heating annealed glass uniformly but is cooled down at a slower rate. As the rate of cooling has a direct impact on the glass strength, the faster the cooling process, the stronger the glass becomes. Though heat-strengthened glass is not as stronger as tempered glass, it is stronger than annealed glass, making it resistant to impacts and winds. Moreover, it does not break into sharp and small jagged edges.
With its properties, it is commonly used in constructing high-rise buildings but because it still fractures into big jagged pieces, it is qualified to be used in storefronts and doors for safety reasons.
If you still have some questions about a safety glass for your home or business project, just contact us here at All Team Glass for excellent workmanship.
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