Tempered Glass

 Tempered glass creates permanent compressive stress on its surface through physical or chemical methods, significantly enhancing strength and thermal stability. It is the most widely used safety glass in modern applications.

Core Principles

• Physical Tempering: Rapid and uniform cooling (quenching) after heating creates a prestressed structure with "surface compressive stress and internal tensile stress."

• Chemical Tempering: Ion exchange (replacing sodium ions with larger potassium ions) "squeezes" a compressive stress layer onto the surface, suitable for ultra-thin or specially shaped products.

Key Performance

• High Strength: Bending strength is 3-5 times that of ordinary glass (120-200 MPa).

• Thermal Stability: Withstands sudden temperature changes of 220-250°C.

• Safety Characteristics: Breaks into small, blunt-angled granules, significantly reducing the risk of cuts.

• Stress Standard: Surface compressive stress ≥ 69 MPa (compliant with GB 15763.2).

Core Applications
Building curtain walls, doors and windows, shower enclosures, glass balustrades, automotive side windows, photovoltaic cover panels, furniture shelves, and other locations requiring compliance with safety regulations.

Important Considerations

• No Post-Processing: Cannot be cut or drilled after tempering; all processing must be completed before tempering.

• Optical Distortion: May exhibit slight "quench marks"; requires evaluation for projects with extremely high flatness requirements.

• Spontaneous Breakage Risk: Nickel sulfide (NiS) inclusions may cause spontaneous breakage. Heat Soak Testing (HST) can reduce the breakage rate to below 0.01%.

Development Trends
Developing toward ultra-thin (0.5-2mm) and ultra-thick (15-25mm) extremes, integrating with functional composites like Low-E coatings and lamination, and continuously optimizing spontaneous breakage rates.

Through stress engineering, tempered glass transforms brittle material into safe, reliable components, making it an indispensable foundational material in modern architecture and industry.

Heat-Strengthened Glass

 Heat-strengthened glass is a specially heat-treated product whose performance lies between that of ordinary annealed glass and fully tempered glass. Through a quenching process that is more gentle than full tempering, it develops a moderate surface compressive stress (typically 24-52 MPa), achieving a unique balance between strength, flatness, and workability.

Key Characteristics

• Enhanced Strength: Bending strength is approximately 2-3 times that of ordinary annealed glass, but lower than fully tempered glass (3-5 times).

• Excellent Flatness: Surface optical distortion (quench marks) is significantly less than that of fully tempered glass, resulting in high visual quality.

• Specific Breakage Pattern: When broken, it forms large, radial cracks and is NOT classified as safety glass.

• Post-Treatment Workability: Can still be cut or drilled after heat treatment (requires caution).

Core Applications
Primarily used in applications requiring both high flatness and strength, where the use of safety glass is not mandated by codes, such as:

1. Curtain walls of high-rise buildings (to meet wind load requirements and minimize image distortion).

2. Large viewing windows and skylights.

3. Glass components requiring precise mechanical processing after heat treatment.

Important Warnings

• It is strictly prohibited for use in locations where safety glass is required by regulations (e.g., railings, overhead glazing, impact-prone areas).

• Must be clearly marked (e.g., "HS") to prevent confusion with fully tempered glass.

In summary, heat-strengthened glass is a precision-engineered material designed for specific project needs. Its value lies in balancing high strength with high flatness. The key to its correct application is a thorough understanding of its performance limits and safety regulations.

Soundproof Glass Creating acoustic barriers to build tranquil spaces.

 

Soundproof glass effectively blocks noise through composite structural design and is a key functional material for improving the acoustic environment of buildings.

Core Principles

• Foundation of Mass Law: Greater surface density generally leads to better sound insulation.

• Enhanced by Composite Structures: Utilizes damping materials (e.g., PVB/SGP interlayer) to convert sound energy into heat and employs asymmetric design to disrupt resonance, improving insulation against mid-to-low frequency noise (e.g., traffic).

Main Types & Performance

• Laminated Glass: The core of soundproofing. The flexible interlayer (e.g., PVB film) provides effective damping and energy dissipation, offering good performance against mid-low frequency noise with an average Sound Reduction Index (Rw) of approximately 35-40 dB.

• Composite Soundproof Glass: Uses "laminated-insulating" composite structures or panes of different thicknesses for optimal overall performance. Rw can reach 40-50 dB or above, suitable for high-standard applications.

• Insulating Glass: Excellent for thermal insulation, but limited for low-frequency noise. Simply increasing the air gap width does not significantly improve sound insulation.

Key Selection Criteria

1. Focus on Adapted Parameters: The practical sound insulation effect should refer to the Rw/Ctr value (for low-frequency traffic noise), not just the laboratory Rw value.

2. Prioritize Laminated/Composite Structures: The key to enhancing performance is using laminated glass as a base pane and employing panes of different thicknesses.

3. Ensure Proper Installation & Sealing: Multi-layer sealing and resilient installation within the window frame system are crucial, as performance drastically declines otherwise.

Core Applications
Suitable for locations with noise requirements, such as buildings along transport corridors (highways, airports), noisy urban areas, recording studios, hospitals, and high-end residences/hotels.

Development Trends
Moving towards smart integration with functions like dimming, ventilation, and photovoltaics, developing higher-performance damping materials (e.g., SGP ionoplast interlayer), and establishing more complete on-site testing standards.

In summary, selecting soundproof glass requires identifying the noise source, scientifically referencing performance parameters (Rw/Ctr), and ensuring high-quality installation to achieve the best noise reduction