​​Tempered Safety Glass High-Strength and Durability for High-Stress Environments

​​Tempered Safety Glass – Technical Specifications & Application Guide​​

Tempered glass is a high-strength safety glass produced through controlled thermal processing to induce compressive surface stresses, resulting in 4-5x greater mechanical strength than annealed glass and a unique breakage pattern for safety.

​​Manufacturing Process & Material Properties​​

1. ​​Thermal Tempering Process​​

   • Heating to 620-675°C (near softening point)

   • Rapid air quenching (cooling rate >100°C/sec)

   • Surface compression: 100-150MPa

   • Core tension: 30-50MPa

2. ​​Material Characteristics​​

   • Modulus of Elasticity: 72GPa

   • Poisson's Ratio: 0.23

   • Density: 2.5g/cm³

   • Thermal Shock Resistance: ΔT 200°C

3. ​​Stress Profile​​

   • Surface Compression: ≥100MPa (EN 12150)

   • Case Depth: ~20% of thickness

   • Stress Equilibrium: Balanced compression/tension

​​Mechanical Performance Data​​

​​Breakage Characteristics​​

1. ​​Fragmentation Pattern​​

   • Diced breakage into small cuboid fragments

   • EN 12150 requirements:

     • 4mm glass: 40-100 fragments/50mm²

     • 6mm glass: 30-80 fragments/50mm²

     • 10mm glass: 15-50 fragments/50mm²

2. ​​Edge Strength​​

   • 2x stronger than annealed glass edges

   • Critical flaw size: 0.05mm (vs 0.15mm annealed)

​​Optical & Dimensional Specifications​​

1. ​​Optical Quality​​

   • Distortion: <0.1mm/m (EN 12150 Class 1)

   • Wavefront distortion: λ/4 per 25mm

   • Haze: <0.5% (ASTM D1003)

2. ​​Thickness Range​​

   • Minimum: 3mm (practical production)

   • Maximum: 25mm (furnace-dependent)

   • Common: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm

   • Tolerance: ±0.2mm (thinner), ±0.3mm (thicker)

3. ​​Size Capabilities​​

   • Minimum: 100×100mm

   • Maximum: 3300×14000mm (jumbo furnaces)

   • Standard production: 2440×3660mm

​​Safety Standards & Certifications​​

1. ​​Global Standards​​

   • EN 12150-1 (Europe)

   • ANSI Z97.1 (USA)

   • GB 15763.2 (China)

   • JIS R3206 (Japan)

   • AS/NZS 2208 (Australia)

2. ​​Impact Test Requirements​​

   • 227g steel ball drop test (EN 12600)

     • 4mm: 6m height (Class 1B)

     • 6mm: 9m height (Class 1A)

   • 45kg bag test (EN 356)

​​Processing Limitations​​

1. ​​Post-Treatment Restrictions​​

   • Cannot be cut or drilled after tempering

   • Edge working requires pre-tempering

   • Maximum hole diameter: 1/3 glass thickness

2. ​​Heat Soak Testing​​

   • 290°C for 8 hours (EN 14179)

   • Detects nickel sulfide inclusions

   • Reduces spontaneous breakage risk to <0.01%

​​Specialty Tempered Glass Types​​

1. ​​Heat-Strengthened Glass​​

   • Lower stress (50-75MPa surface compression)

   • Breaks into larger pieces

   • For overhead glazing applications

2. ​​Chemically Tempered Glass​​

   • Ion exchange process

   • Thin glass (<3mm) strengthening

   • Used in mobile devices, aircraft

3. ​​Tempered Laminated Glass​​

   • Combines safety and security

   • For hurricane-resistant glazing

​​Industry Applications​​

1. ​​Architectural Glazing​​

   • Curtain walls (EN 13024 compliant)

   • Glass railings (EN 12600 Class 1)

   • Sliding doors (ANSI Z97.1 certified)

2. ​​Transportation​​

   • Automotive side/rear windows (ECE R43)

   • High-speed train glazing (EN 16273)

   • Aircraft interior partitions

3. ​​Consumer Products​​

   • Shower enclosures (ASTM C1036)

   • Oven doors (UL 858 compliant)

   • Appliance panels

4. ​​Specialty Applications​​

   • Bullet-resistant laminates (UL 752)

   • Hockey rink barriers (ASTM F1043)

   • Solar panel covers (IEC 61215)

​​Quality Control Measures​​

1. ​​Stress Measurement​​

   • Surface polarimetry (FSM-6000)

   • Differential scanning calorimetry

2. ​​Fragmentation Testing​​

   • Impact test to verify break pattern

   • Fragment counting per standard

3. ​​Flatness Verification​​

   • Laser interferometry

   • Maximum bow: 0.2% of length

​​Leading Manufacturers​​

1. ​​Guardian Glass (TemperedGuard™)​​

   • Jumbo sheet capability

   • 0.05mm flatness tolerance

2. ​​Saint-Gobain (SGG Securit®)​​

   • High optical quality

   • Custom shape tempering

3. ​​NSG (Pilkington Temperable)​​

   • Low-iron variants

   • Patterned glass options

4. ​​AGC (Temperlite®)​​

   • Ultra-clear composition

   • Thin glass tempering

​​Sustainability Features​​

• 100% recyclable

• Energy recovery from tempering furnaces

• Reduces injury risk (safety glass)

• Contributes to LEED MR credits

​​Technical Support Services​​

1. ​​Stress Analysis​​

   • Surface compression mapping

   • Edge stress profiling

2. ​​Breakage Investigation​​

   • Fracture pattern analysis

   • Stress corrosion evaluation

3. ​​Design Optimization​​

   • Hole placement guidelines

   • Minimum bend radii calculations