The different glasses
From the float glass different glasses are manufactured.
-Printed glass
Before to be completly cooled the glass sheets are sent between two engraved rolls allowing "to print" different designs on the glass sheets. More often the printed glass is also a coloured glass.
Printed glass exemple
These glasses are mainly used for interior decoration (doors, shower panels, offices partitions...)
-Armoured glass
Inside the glass is included a metallic framework.
The applications are for the security market
-Sandblasted glasses
The " sand " sent under pressure on glass sheets removes the transparency ( removing on the glass surface from some microns up to some millimeters)
It is possible to sandblast all the glass surface or protecting some area to design geometric or artistic drawings on the glass.
The glass sandblasting is a very dynamic area.
Door with sandblasted glass
( Company Signal décors , France 54). Proposed with double glazing.
Other exemple with a building with the Joconde face . ( Signal décors)
-Mirrors
The glass is coated on one side with silver nitrate allowing it to mirror the light.
-Engraved glass
On its surface the glass is engraved with a wheel to obtain a geometrical or artistic drawing.
On the left an engraved glass with some ohter processed glasses.
-Coated glass
It is the more important innovation for the last 10 years. On one of two face the glass is coated with mettalic or chemical coating allowing the glass to obtain specific properties.The thickness for this coating is some ten or so nonometer.
The more common coated glasses have minimum 6 coats, but some other can have more than 20 (automotive glasses)
-No reflection glasses
On the common glasses it can have reflection on the two glass faces from different things in the glass surrounding. This reflection decreases the glass transparency. To prevent this the two glass faces are coated with a metallic oxide. These glasses are mainly used in presentation windows (museums), protecting glasses for painting....
-Anti-condensation glasses
The glass from your glasses is a coated glass with anti-condensation coating.
-Self-cleaning glass
Lodged on the windows titan oxide coating is a catalyst allowing to destroy dust and organic particles, with the sun effect. And after the rain will remove the small particles remaining on the window.
-Glass against bacterium
This glass allow to kill bacterium. The idea from AGC, the first supplier to propose such a glass was to eliminate up to 99,9% of the bacteriums.
-Low E glasses
tTo reflect the infrared light to keep the heat outside during the summer and inside during the winter.
-Hydrophobic glass
The glass prevents the water to remain on the glass (for exemple for plane windscreens).
These glass were designed from lotus leaves study.
The coated glasses are generally designed with several coats.
-One to hang the coating on the glass
-Several coats to give to the glass the wanted suitabilities.
-One to protect the coating
Laminated glass