There’s much more than meets the eye when it comes to glass products. Toughened glass is tempered glass that has been strengthened with a chemical process. It’s also known as safety glass and can be used in many applications. In this article, let’s explain what toughened glass is, why you should use it for your window and door needs and how it works!
What is toughened glass?
Toughened glass is a type of safety glass invented early in the 20th century. It’s made by heating and cooling ordinary glass to increase its strength. While ordinary or “normal” window pane has a Mohs hardness rating of about 5, toughened glass can be anywhere from 6 to 9 on that scale.
This means it will resist scratching and shattering better than regular window panes—even if you drop a hammer or rock on it, you’re unlikely to break through it!
What are the benefits of toughened glass?
Toughened glass is made by putting a layer of chemical bonds between two panes of glass. The bonding process produces a more durable, scratch-resistant surface that resists impacts and thermal shock, even if you drop your phone with it in your pocket. Toughened glass is also easier to clean than regular glass because you can use any window cleaner without worrying about scratching the surface.
Toughened glass comes in various styles and colours, so you can find one that perfectly matches your décor.
How is toughened glass made?
Toughened glass is a product of heat and pressure. The process involves heating the glass until it softens and then cooling it to form a sheet. The sheet of softened glass is placed inside a pressurised chamber that can apply more than four times its weight in pressure on top of it—this causes the surface tension within the material, which normally holds it together as a solid substance, to vanish.
The next step involves striking the softened piece with an iron rod while maintaining this high pressure within the pressurised chamber. This strikes the molten core through both sides of the panel at once, resulting in what looks like an explosion on all sides (but is technically known as “spalling”). Afterwards, if you were looking at this side-by-side with unmodified safety glass (which hasn’t been bored through by such powerful forces), you’d notice that toughened glass has been exposed at random points over its surface; this allows for maximum strength when struck by projectiles or debris from any direction.
Toughened glass is an excellent product choice for a variety of applications.
Toughened glass is an excellent product choice for a variety of applications.
It’s an especially good choice for:
- Windows and doors. Toughened glass is safer than ordinary window glass, which can shatter into sharp shards if it breaks. It can also withstand high winds and heavy impacts from hail or other projectiles.
- Shower enclosures. While ordinary bathroom mirror panels don’t offer much protection against falls in the shower, toughened glass provides ample cushioning and absorbs pressure better than regular panes do. As such, they’re ideal for protecting you during your morning routine!
- Balustrades (railings). Toughened balustrades have survived multiple falls without breaking, making them ideal additions to staircases where there’s no one around who needs their hands free to catch themselves if they trip up or down stairs with a hot cup of coffee in hand!
Conclusion
Toughened glass is a great choice for many applications. It offers excellent durability, safety, and other benefits like high tolerance to impact and low weight. This product has been around since the 1920s, but it’s still just as relevant today as it was back then! If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional glass or acrylic, then toughened might be right up your alley.
