Introduction
Glass is an essential product used in various applications. Think of the home windows. Consider the car windows. Guess what? A mobile screen has a glass.
What if your glass breaks in a single fall? That shows you have poor-quality glass that is useless. So, what to do? How can you elevate the strength of your glass and enjoy the unbreakable strength?
If all these questions pop up in your mind, don’t worry. We have discussed various strengthening methods and understood how they can be effective. Let’s discuss every method thoroughly.
What is glass strengthening?
Glass strengthening is increasing the strength of your glass materials through heat, chemical, or annealing processes. The strengthened glass is hard to break and offers more protection in the long term. They also serve as a price-saving idea and deliver extended performance over decades if you properly maintain them.
Five Best methods to strengthen the glass
There are a few strategies to increase the strength of glass. We have discussed the five best methods.
Thermal tempering
Heat is a magical tool in the glass industry. In addition to molting glass, it offers extended strength by heating up to 600 degrees Celsius and then rapidly cooling the materials.
Rapid cooling of the glass creates compressive strength among the molecules and increases its strength.
Thermal tempering is still a famous choice as a key tool for strengthening glass materials.
Why choose it?
- It is a simple and efficient process because of the availability of the heating and cooling processes.
- You can get 4-5 times more glass durability than a system without thermal tempering.
- Thermal glass breaks into small pieces. It reduces the risks of injuries and helps elevate the safety.
Chemical strengthening
The word chemical is sufficient to highlight this material.
It involves the exchange of chemicals. For example, a normal glass has sodium ions that are small and easy to break. What if you replace them with more durable ions?
Potassium ions are the ideal candidates.
Dipping your glass materials in the potassium nitrate solutions can replace the small sodium ions with the large potassium ions. The compressive stress between the materials increases the durability of the glass.
Why choose it?
- This chemical strengthening even delivers a more durable material compared to thermal tempering.
- High clarity and original dimensions make it one of the best options for strengthening.
- It is a good choice if you are making durable smartphone display glasses.
Laminated Glass
Glass lamination is a famous process. It strengthens the glass because of its multiple layers.
Two or more glass layers have a center layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). The heat application bonds the layer together and increases the strength of the glass. As a result, this glass material is also famous for its durability and useful in multiple applications.
Why choose it?
- Laminated glass maintains its integrity even after the breakage. Therefore, it is a safe choice.
- No more loud sounds can interrupt you. Even UV rays can’t pass through it.
- It is a commonly used glass famous for diversified applications!!
Heat Application
It is different from the thermal tempering in the cooling process. The glass is heated up to 600°C. Unlike thermal tempering, the cooling process is slow and thorough. The internal stress increases the durability of the glass materials, making it a strengthened glass compared to the annealed glass. However, it is not as strong as the thermally tempered glass.
Why choose it?
- Accessibility to heat application is straightforward without any tension.
- It is strong glass. You can assess its double strength compared to the annealed glass.
- Heat application doesn’t let the glass break easily. It is due to nickel sulfide inclusions.
Annealing
Some experts include annealing in the strengthening process, but it is more about the shaping. This process reduces internal stress, leading to better material strengthening and shaping.
Why choose it?
- Annealing removes internal stress and increases the durability of glass materials.
- Such a glass can be processed further and strengthened further.
Strengthening of glass with applications of heat, chemical, and tempering process
We have added the top features if you have a heat or chemical application but don’t know about the different features.
Impact resistance
Impact resistance is the stress test of the material. It shows how much stress can break the glass. Heat tempering is the winner here.
Bending strength
Some glass materials are flexible and bend. Their bending strength is listed per the application of the strengthening method. Heat tempering has maximum bending strength.
Resistance to Temperature
Temperature resistance is another crucial aspect because it decides the temperature of the glass materials. Heat tempering offers the maximum resistance.
Vickers hardness
Hardness is also crucial to assess the durability of the materials. The highest hardness comes with chemical strengthening.
Maximum temperature
How much temperature a glass can bear? It is different with tempering, heating, and chemical strengthening. The highest temperature for chemical strengthening is 300°C.
Average compressive strength
Compression of the molecules is possible with the stress. Average compressive strength can define it, too. Chemical strengthening offers >325MPa of compressive strength.
Conclusion
Selection of the right strengthening method. Don’t look down on every method. Each method has a different level of strength and durability.
Check your budget, facilities, and other quality terms. Do you want the best custom suppliers who offer strengthened glass?
Shenxun Glass Manufacturers manufactures and fabricates glass materials on a large scale. Tell us about your method of strengthening. Or grab the quality glass materials with impactful methods. Select our services right away!
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Meta Description: If you want to strengthen your glass, don’t worry at all. Our experts have added the best five methods. Read on to learn about each process.