Abstract

In recent years glass applications have achieved a high level of structural complexity. Transparent roofs and staircases are just two examples of structures that not only require high strength, but also reliability and redundancy.

In order to enhance its properties, glass used for challenging applications usually undergoes tempering and/or laminating. The latter improves post-fracture behaviour by retaining the glass fragments after failure, whilst tempering, which can be performed thermally or chemically, produces pre-compression in the glass surface which needs to be exceeded before failure to occur.

Currently, two of the main tempered glasses are fully tempered glass (FTG) and chemically tempered glass (CTG). They differ considerably in terms of strength and fragmentation. In particular CTG has a very high pre-compression (~550 MPa), but it breaks in large and dangerous fragments. Whilst FTG has a lower pre-compression (120MPa), but it breaks in small and blunt fragments.

The aim of this project is to combine on one panel the two tempering processes in order to obtain a novel glass with enhanced strength and fragmentation properties. The modelling of the process will be described as well as the results obtained so far.

The product would find application in the field of architecture, marine industry particularly when high strength as well as safe behaviour is needed in a monolithic pane.