Toughened glass, also known as tempered glass, is a type of safety glass that is manufactured by heating annealed glass to a high temperature and then cooling it rapidly. The rapid cooling process, also known as quenching, creates compressive stresses on the surface of the glass while the core remains in tension.
This process makes the glass several times stronger than ordinary annealed glass, and when it does break, it shatters into small, rounded pieces rather than sharp shards, reducing the risk of injury. Toughened glass is used in a variety of applications, including windows, doors, shower enclosures, and automotive glass.
1. Heat-strengthened glass: This type of glass is heated to a lower temperature and cooled more slowly than fully tempered glass, which makes it stronger than annealed glass but not as strong as fully tempered glass.
2. Fully tempered glass: This is the most commonly used type of toughened glass. It is heated to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled, making it four to five times stronger than annealed glass.
3. Laminated glass: This type of toughened glass consists of two or more layers of glass bonded together with a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) in between. It is designed to provide both strength and safety, as the PVB layer helps hold the glass together if it breaks.
4. Ceramic glass: This type of toughened glass is made by embedding ceramic particles into the glass during the manufacturing process. The result is a glass that is extremely strong and resistant to high temperatures.
5. Bullet-resistant glass: This type of toughened glass is designed to withstand bullets and other high-velocity impacts. It typically consists of multiple layers of glass and plastic or other materials that absorb the energy of the impact.
