Tempered Safety Glass

Glass that is strengthened through the process of heating and then cooling the surface rapidly is known as Tempered glass. This process creates surface compression and tensile strength that causes glass to resist breakage, yet disintegrate into small pieces if a break occurs. Fully tempered glass must have a surface compression of 10,000 psi. This process produces glass four times more impact resistant than non tempered glass.

The uses of tempered glass are many because of its safety characteristics. Safety comes from strength and from a unique fracture pattern. Strength, which effectively resists wind pressure and impact, provides safety in many applications. When fully tempered glass breaks the glass fractures into small, relatively harmless fragments. This phenomenon called "dicing," markedly reduces the likelihood of injury to people as there are no jagged edges or sharp shards.

Tempered glass is two or more times stronger than annealed glass. When broken, it shatters into many small fragments which prevent major injuries. This type of glass is intended for glass façades, sliding doors, building entrances, bath and shower enclosures and other uses requiring superior strength and safety properties.
 

  Laminated Glass

Pioneer Laminated Safety Glass is manufactured by bonding two or more layers of glass together with one or more layers of tough polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer under heat and pressure, to create a single sheet of glass. When broken, the PVB interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded and prevents it from breaking apart. The interlayer can also give the glass a higher sound insulation rating.  

There are several types of laminated glasses manufactured using different types of glass and interlayers which produce different results when broken.

Laminated glass that is made up of annealed glass is normally used when safety is a concern, but tempering is not an option. When broken, the PVB layer prevents the glass from breaking apart creating a "spider web" cracking pattern.

Tempered laminated glass is designed to shatter into small pieces, preventing possible injury. When both pieces of glass are broken it produces a "wet blanket" effect and it will fall out of its opening.

Heat strengthened laminated glass is stronger than annealed, but not as strong as tempered. It is often used where security is a concern. It has a larger break pattern than tempered, but because it holds its shape (unlike the "wet blanket" effect of tempered laminated glass) it remains in the opening and can withstand more force for a longer period of time, making it much more difficult to get through.