Thursday, July 01, 2010

Factors influencing annealing glass breakages

A recent article from Glass on Web: Glass breaks when it is under stresses that it cannot withstand. Each type of glass has different breakage characteristics. In the case of annealing glass, when broken it splinters into sharp fragments, which represent a hazardous situation. Annealing glass may break for many different reasons. We will be focusing on the most common ones.


Thermal breakage: Generally, thermal stresses on glass occur as a result of exposure to sunlight and interior heating. When glass is exposed to high temperatures, it absorbs heat and expands. At the same time, its edges remain cooler, creating a differential between the two surface areas of the pane. These expansion differences cause stress and consequently thermal breakage.

Different loads: Glass is subjected to different types of environmental and human loads, which can cause the malfunctioning or breakage of glazed surfaces. Since each load has a specific impact on glass, and different calculation formulas, it is important to understand each of these phenomena in order to determine the appropriate glass thickness.

Poor glazing: Poor and improper glazing may also lead to glass failure and breakage. Correct handling and glazing of the glass is essential to avoid edge damage and minimize the risks of fractures due to thermal and mechanical stresses.

Impacts: Glass can break as a result of several types of impact, which can be categorized as accidental or deliberate (vandalism). As normal annealed glass is relatively fragile in comparison to tempered glass, a strong impact almost always causes glass breakage.

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