Glass that has been thermally or chemically treated to increase strength and alter breaking characteristics, creating small granular pieces when broken rather than large dangerous shards, also known as tempered glass.
What is Toughened Safety Glass?
Toughened safety glass, also known as tempered glass, is glass that has undergone a controlled thermal or chemical treatment to increase its strength and modify its breaking characteristics. When broken, toughened glass crumbles into small, relatively harmless granular pieces rather than sharp, dangerous shards.
The toughening process creates compressive stress on the glass surface and tensile stress in the interior, resulting in glass that is 4-5 times stronger than annealed glass.
Key Features
- Increased Strength: 4-5 times stronger than standard annealed glass
- Safe Breaking Pattern: Breaks into small, cube-like pieces
- Heat Resistance: Better thermal shock resistance than standard glass
- Impact Resistance: Superior resistance to mechanical impact
- Cannot be Cut: Must be cut and shaped before toughening process
- Stress Distribution: Engineered stress patterns provide uniform strength
Benefits
Toughened safety glass provides essential protection in applications where glass breakage poses safety risks. The safe breaking pattern significantly reduces injury risk while maintaining optical clarity and weather resistance. It’s also mandated by building codes in many hazardous locations.
The increased strength allows for larger installations and reduced glass thickness in many applications.
Common Applications
- Shower Enclosures: Standard requirement for all shower screen applications
- Glass Doors: Entry doors, sliding doors, and glazed openings
- Balustrades: Glass barrier and railing systems
- Commercial Glazing: Storefront and office building applications
- Automotive Glass: Side and rear windows in vehicles
- Pool Fencing: Safety barriers around swimming pool areas
For technical information about glass tempering, see the Toughened glass Wikipedia page.