Tempered glass has the laurel of being one of the most commonly used glass types in architecture. Why is it so? Tempered glass is relatively safer, longer-lasting, and more thermally resistant. It is processed in a controlled environment through chemical and heat treatment, which makes it tougher than regular glass. Because of this greater strength, it finds various applications such as windows, doors, shower doors, windshields, architectural glass doors, tables, mobile screen protectors, plates, cookware, and even bullet-proof glass components.
The making process of tempered glass encompasses heating normal glass in a special-purpose furnace evenly up to the temperature range of 700° Celsius. After all the glass has reached the requisite temperature range, it is promptly removed from the furnace, and a process of rapid cooling is started. Something magical happens in this cycle of even heating and rapid cooling. The outer structure of the glass gets stuck in a state of compression while its core remains in a state of tension. This process is called tempering, which causes a stress pattern to develop in the glass, which results in the mechanical strength of tempered glass becoming 500% of that of ordinary glass. Also, another feature of glass formed through tempering is that after it gets broken by a sudden force, all the internal potential energy is released at once. This sudden charge of all energy at once shatters glass into tiny granular chunks instead of sharp shards, as it happens with regular glass.
Let’s consider tempered glass on criteria of strength. It is more than five times stronger than ordinary glass of similar dimensions. It means that if a specific force is enough to break normal glass, one needs a five times more vigorous blow to break the tempered glass of a same shape and size. Also, in terms of thermal conductivity, tempered glass doesn’t get harmed up to 250° Celsius. The tempering of glass doesn’t change its visual appearance, and its solar radiance and transparency are akin to normal glass. It is considered a safety glass as is not easy to break. Even if it breaks, the pebbles are granular, which doesn’t cause injury to humans. One downside of tempered glass is it can’t be altered, polished, carved, pressed, or cut after it has been tempered. Another issue is that even when the force impacts a tiny area, the whole glass simultaneously breaks. Why it happens? It is because of nickel sulphide particles, which expand in size due to heating and sudden cooling during tempering.
Tempered glass is a good choice for home windows because it has built-in safety. Unlike ordinary glass, which doesn’t undergo high heating and sudden cooling, tempered glass is long-lasting and has better strength. As mentioned before, in the event of breaking, it turns to granular pebbles and not those with sharp edges; people remain safe from injury. This safety feature is incredibly suitable for homes with small kids. Also, for regions which face extreme temperature variations, this is a highly recommended choice, giving long-lasting protection to the house.
It is time to start if you want to fix your window or door glass woes. Contact Shine Glass & Windows to book glass repair in Surrey now. The company offers expert glass repair, window replacement, durable tempered glass, and solves other glass issues with lasting peace at affordable prices.
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