Toughened Safety Glass: What is it and its application
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How Safe is Toughened Safety Glass?

Posted Date: Feb 20, 2020

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Glass as a construction material has become a staple in both residential apartments and commercial edifices.  Earlier, used for its aesthetic value alone; modern-day innovative glass solutions offer aesthetics and so much more in terms of advanced functionalities. On such member of the glass family is toughened safety glass or simply put, toughened glass, whose main purpose is to serve the need for safety and security. But, how safe is toughened safety glass? Let us get to know about it and much more.

What is Toughened Safety Glass?

Toughened glass is a type of safety glass. It is also popularly known as tempered glass. A safety glass’s unique characteristic is that it is processed through controlled chemical or thermal treatments to make it more efficient. This is the reason why toughened safety glass is less likely to break and less prone to causing injuries on the rare occasions of breakage.

How is Toughened Safety Glass Made?

To make toughened safety glass, standard glass or annealed glass is made to go through a heating process. It is heated to approximately 650⁰C and then rapidly cooled. This rapid cooling process consists of uniform blasting of air on both surfaces of the glass simultaneously. This process of thermal tempering puts the outer surface of the glass into compression and the interior of the glass into tension. Due to this process of controlled thermal treatment, the physical properties of the annealed glass go through an alteration. The comprehensive stress of the process improves the standard glass’s bending or tensile strength. This is why toughened safety glass is far more likely to resist the force caused by heat, wind, and impact. The process of tempering also imbues toughened glass with its most important characteristic - instead of breaking into jagged shards like standard glass, toughened safety glass breaks into small, blunt, granular chunks. This makes toughened glass safer than normal untreated glass and far less likely to cause injuries to anyone.

One thing that should be kept in mind is that although tempering increases the tensile strength of the untreated glass, it does not change the colour, light transmission properties, or the chemical composition of the annealed glass.

Is Toughened Safety Glass Safe?

One of the major benefits of toughened safety glass is the enhanced safety that it provides to your property. Toughened safety glass is four to five times stronger than annealed glass. Along with this, it is also two to three times stronger than heat-strengthened glass. In case of breakage, toughened glass breaks into blunt, circular chunks as opposed to jagged, sharp shards. This makes them relatively less dangerous than normal glass and the ideal pick to deal with high-pressure situations. Toughened safety glass can withstand surface compression of at least 10,000lbs per square inch. It is highly resilient to impact and adds another layer of security to your property. Another benefit of its resilience and strength is that they are less likely to be prone to damages even when they come in contact with a calamity or a disaster. Toughened safety glass also provides better heat-resistance than normal glass. It can withstand high-temperature changes, up to 250°C. Along with this, it is also highly resistant to electric shocks.

What are the Applications of Toughened Safety Glass?

As safety is their primary feature, toughened safety glass is specifically to be used in places that are prone to heavy external impact and damage.

Construction of Buildings

Toughened safety glass is an ideal choice for the construction of buildings. Due to their high tensile strength, thermal-resistance and the fact that they aren’t dangerous in case of an accidental impact, toughened safety glass can be used in stairways, sliding doors, picture floor-level windows, and picture windows. They are also the best choice for escalator side panels, balustrades, skylights, room dividers handrails, and glass floors in buildings.

Household Use

If you have small children and you want to choose a material that won’t cause them any injuries then toughened safety glass is a brilliant choice for your homes. You can install toughened safety glass in your shower doors, glass shelves, glass cabinets, dividers, balcony doors, and also glass table-tops. Installing toughened safety glass will not only be a safe choice but it will also add a modern and sleek look to your space. It will also make your interiors feel lighter and more spacious. Due to their its heat-withstanding capacity, it is an excellent choice for your kitchen as well. You can also use it in kitchen cabinets, shelves or even as a kitchen backsplash.

Office Use

Toughened safety glass is also a great addition to your office space. Cabin doors, showcases, glass shelves, and display cabinets can all be made using toughened safety glass. Toughened safety glass with different levels of obscurity work the best as conference room doors or cubicle dividers. They add freshness to your office space while providing you with much-needed privacy and safety.

Looking for experts who can help you with your requirements for toughened safety glass? Well, look no further than AIS Glasxperts. We, at AIS Glasxperts believe in not only providing you with innovative concepts but also cutting-edge solutions. Our team consists of highly skilled professionals whose aim is to provide you with a hassle-free experience during the process of decision-making, delivery and installation of glass. And that’s not all. Our team also provides post-installation support. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us today!

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