Instead of shattering into dangerous, jagged pieces, safety glass breaks into small, harmless fragments when struck. Most often, this type of glass is made in two methods. First, it can be made by laminating two sheets of ordinary glass using thin plastic as their interlayer. Second, it can also be constructed through heat treatment which adds more strength to the glass sheets. The very first attempt at introducing safety glass was in 1909 with the use of celluloid as an interlayer between two ordinary glass types. Eventually, the use of polyvinyl butyl was deemed to be more desirable in offering better safety properties.
On the other side, glass sheets are being tempered at about 1200 °F and then rapidly cooled during the heat treatment technique. This method of creating safety glass gives the glass a lot more strength, making it six times stronger than ordinary glass that once it breaks, it shatters into un-pointed granules. This is one reason why this type of glass became the top choice in most modern building enclosures. Apart from safety, the desirable properties of radiant energy transfer and conductive heat transfer are the key considerations in many commercial buildings.
Unlike other transparent materials common in low-rise residential buildings, safety glass is very important in buildings with fully controlled atmosphere. In fact, the glass is ideal for double glazing that is vital to minimize heat transfer and reduce condensation from forming on the glass. In this case, property owners can further reduce light transmission by considering to integrate tinting into the glass in different colors such as grey or bronze. This safety glass would be able to reflect as much as 90% of the incident energy. So, if you think that your application can highly benefit from the use of this type of glass to surround your commercial space or provide protection in your home, get in touch with us today to discuss all your potential options.
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