Today contributes significantly in all ways, to the comfort level of buildings and especially homes. Advanced types of glass, such as coated, laminated, etc., now provide high quality solutions in areas such as thermal and solar control, sound reduction and safety.
Float Glass
Modern windows are made from float glass. The float glass process is also known as the Pilkington process, named after the British glass manufacturer Pilkington, which pioneered the technique in the 1950s at their production site in St Helens, Merseyside in Great Britain.
Decorative Glasses
Decorative Glasses are determined by the existence of a design or color on them. From their name it is concluded that their main use is the buildings’ decoration, such as partitions, furniture, closets, etc.
Mirrors
Mirrors are made when a thin layer of silver, or sometimes aluminium, is coated on the back side of a float glass so that someone can see the surface reflected through the glass. The back of the mirror is usually coated with dark varnish to protect the silver from corrosion and detachment from the float glass. This method reflects about 80% of the incident light.
Low – e Glass
The term “Low-e Glass” in recent years is used as a free translation of the term “Energy efficient glass” to determine that the category of glass, that has characteristics which make it difficult to transfer heat from one side to another, thereby contributing to energy saving.
The invention of these glasses was a revolution in the technology of insulating materials, given their impressive greater insulating performance, compared to all previously known types of glass, 220% better thermal insulation in comparison with standard double glazing and 400% compared with the ordinary single glazing!
In principle, the “Low-e Glasses” have the “ability” of decreasing the emission of heat from the warmer to the cooler side (hence called low emissivity glass “Low-E”). That their ability helps us to save energy (for heating or room air conditioning), as we “keep” the heat of our house in winter and we “through” the heat of the external environment outside in summer.
Coated Glasses for Special Applications
Nowdays technology and research has enabled the glass industry to develop special coatings applied to glass for applications of high demands and high aesthetics.
Sound Insulating Glasses
The Sound Insulating Glasses have the ability to damp the resonance phenomena, eliminating the phenomena of the “acoustic window”.
Safety Glasses
Modern technology succeded to give many safety properties in glass:
Injury protection
Protection against vandalism
Bulletproof
Missile protection
Fire & tempereture protection
Fire Resistant Glasses
They can withstand temperatures up to 1000°C
