TEMPERED AND HEAT TREATED GLASS

Glass that is strengthened through the process of heating and then cooling the surface rapidly is known as Tempered Glass. This process creates surface compression and tensile strength that causes glass to resist breakage, yet disintegrate into small pieces if a break occurs. Fully tempered glass must have a surface compression of 10,000 psi. This process produces glass four times more impact resistant than non tempered glass.

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TEMPERED GLASS SAFETY

Fully tempered glass, when broken, fractures into hundreds of small blunt particles. This is by design and is excellent proof of a well tempered product, not of a defective product. It is this fail-safe characteristic of tempered glass that makes it an excellent product for safety glazing applications. Annealed glass is easily broken by mechanical stress, impact and moderate thermal stress. Fully tempered glass will withstand much greater stresses than annealed glass before failure.

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The uses of tempered glass are many because of its safety characteristics. Safety comes from strength and from a unique fracture pattern. Strength, which effectively resists wind pressure and impact, provides safety in many applications. When fully tempered glass breaks the glass fractures into small, relatively harmless fragments. This phenomenon called "dicing," markedly reduces the likelihood of injury to people as there are no jagged edges or sharp shards. Tempered glass is two or more times stronger than annealed glass. When broken, it shatters into many small fragments which prevent major injuries. This type of glass is intended for glass façades, sliding doors, building entrances, bath and shower enclosures and other uses requiring superior strength and safety properties.

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