Special glass covers glass types that gain extra strength, safety or specific properties through additional processing. The starting point is usually float glass, which is then treated thermally, chemically or mechanically for a wide range of construction applications.
Application
Thermally toughened (tempered) glass is produced by heating float glass to around 620 °C and then cooling it rapidly with air. This creates compressive stresses in the surface, making the glass much stronger and causing it to break into small, blunt granules.
Laminated glass (safety glass) consists of two or more glass panes bonded together with a tough PVB interlayer under heat and pressure. When broken, the fragments stick to the interlayer, preventing injury and fall-through.
Wired glass is made by embedding a steel wire mesh into the glass during rolling. If the glass breaks, the mesh holds the fragments together, making it suitable for fire-retarding applications.
Figured or rolled glass is produced by passing the molten glass between patterned rollers, creating a relief or pattern that transmits light while obscuring the view.
Curved (bent) glass is formed by heating flat glass in a furnace until it sags over a mould into the desired curvature.
Fire-resistant glass contains special layers (such as an intumescent gel) that foam up when exposed to heat, holding back heat and fire for a defined period.
Related terms
- glass
- building glass
- wired glass
- figured glass
- double glazing
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