Have you lately been flipping through the glossy pages of architectural magazines for inspiration on materials for your new home? Do you want to award your renovation project a modern look and feel without compromising on privacy and safety? If yes, then it’s wise to divert your attention towards heat strengthened glass!
What Is Heat Strengthened Glass?
In a nutshell, heat strengthened glass is a tenacious material which has four to five times the mechanical strength of standard annealed glass. Structures made from this type of glass can resist a great deal of wind and snow load and also shield your home from extreme thermal stress. Due to the strength of heat resistance of said glass panes, they are commonly used for both interior as well as exterior glass structures.
The Science behind Heat Strengthened Glass
The process begins with a pane of standard annealed glass, which is washed to rid itself of any dirt, dust, or debris. After a thorough rinse, but before tempering, the pane undergoes cutting, filleting, drilling holes, etc. as per the manufacturer or client’s requirement. It is impossible to rework on this type of glass once it goes through heat treatment.
Once the cleaning, cutting and drilling finishes, the glass surface is rolled inside a 650°C – 700°C furnace and then cooled slowly with the help of air jets from all directions, bringing down the temperature of the outer surface uniformly. Deploying the process of cooling is delicate as it decides if the glass will come out fully or semi-tempered. Going overboard with the cooling will result in fully tempered glass, and going under will result in improper heat strengthening.
There are plenty of sizes, designs, and thickness customisation options available for het strengthened glass.
Properties of Heat Strengthened Glass
Windows and doors made using this type of glass are at least four to five times stronger than annealed glass and have a higher resistance to thermal shock. Annealed glass panes can resist temperatures up to 40°C, whereas heat strengthened glass can resist temperature differentials up to 130°C!
Surfaces made from this type of glass don’t shatter into sharp jagged shards on breaking. They crack radially at the point of impact till the edge of the frame slits into large fragments. These fragments are cube-like, having round edges. Since heat strengthened glass pieces are blunt, they are incapable of causing any fatal injuries.
Heat-strengthened glass can be manufactured with additional properties such a high-performance, energy-efficiency, and solar control. It also boasts higher clarity as compared to tempered glass. This type of glass comes with a permanent marking on one corner to help sellers and buyers identify that it is heat tempered.
Also called tempered glass, it is rarely prone to spontaneous breakage. The phenomenon of spontaneous breaking leads to a glass surface to crack and eventually, shatter without any apparent reason.
Applications of Heat Strengthened Glass
Since this type of glass is exceptionally comfortable with standing guard against wind, snow and mechanical load, it is a popular choice for the exteriors of modern structures. Heat strengthened glass adorns the walls and façades of hotels, convention centres, railway stations, public buildings, multi-storey residential complexes, and other commercial enclaves.
Heat strengthened glass is also a hot favourite for west and south-west facing bedrooms or living rooms, to resist late afternoon and evening solar glare and thermal stress. If you are looking to use glass on the main entrance door or are planning a gazebo with partitions in your backyard, your search should stop at heat strengthened glass.
Windows on vertical walls of your home are too mainstream! Complement them with skylights glazed with heat strengthened glass. Skylights are primarily small or medium windows on your structure’s roof that shower in heaps of natural light, thus livening up spaces and awarding it a sense of openness. Since heat strengthened glass can be frosted for privacy, these skylights will allow in light without any glare.
Your Turn
Now that you know about the properties and applications of heat strengthened glass, it is time to take a look at actual pieces for sale. To get the best in tempered glass, turn to AIS Glasxperts – India’s leading glass lifestyle solution provider! Our squad of professionally trained and experienced personnel offers help every step of the way, from design, installation to after-sales support.
AIS Glasxperts is a part of the AIS family, which is one of India’s oldest and largest integrated glass network. We have aeons of experience and knowledge tending to all types of glass-related woes. So, if you have a fenestration vision and want to turn it into a reality, get in touch with us without any more delays!
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