Tempered glass is obtained through a thermal process, which involves heating up the glass to 650-680 C˚ and rapid cooling it down to room temperature. Through this process, the glass becomes 5 times harder, without losing its elasticity. Another important quality of tempered glass is its behavior when breaking. – Compared to normal glass, it will break into small pieces, instead of large, sharp pieces.
Residential windows can be tempered any time thermal resistance and protection against the risk of breakage are desired. An essential element, in order to reduce the probability that the glass will break during the tempering process, is the careful processing of the glass edges. It is recognized that the defective processing of the edges affects both the quality and the mechanical properties of the finished tempered glass.
Tempered glass can be used for double glazed Denver replacement windows or laminated windows, as well as for shower cabins, interior doors, glass walls etc. – in particular for applications requiring the following:
- Better resistance to mechanical shocks (glass doors, glass panels fixed in various places etc.)
- Better resistance to thermal stress
- Better protection against the risk of breakage and reduction of the risk of injury