Tempered glass also known as toughened glass—is a strengthened material used when traditional annealed glass isn’t strong enough. Tempered glass is created by heat processing glass, making it up to four times stronger. Tempered glass is created by heating glass. The tempering process involves a couple of steps:
Heating: The glass travels through a high-heat tempering oven and is heated to approximately 1200 °F.
Quenching: After it has been sufficiently heated, the glass is then quenched—or cooled down. The quenching procedure is very fast, and consists of several nozzles blasting the glass with cool air for several seconds. This is where tempered glass gets its strength—this dramatic shock causes the surface and edges to become compressed, and the inner layer to be in tension, thus strengthening the material by three to five times.
Uses and Applications of Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is immensely versatile and used in a wide variety of products.
Kitchen appliances
Tempered glass is used in ovens, stoves, and other kitchen appliances that deal with great amounts of heat.
Automotive parts
Tempered glass makes vehicle windows safer. Instead of creating large shards when they break, tempered glass windows disintegrate into small, harmless pieces.
Construction uses
Tempered glass is used in numerous ways in the construction of a house. Shower doors, bathtub enclosures, sliding doors, windows, skylights, glass facades, elevators, swimming pools, and glass balcony doors can all be made of tempered glass.
Sports arena
The glass panels around a hockey rink and in some sports arenas are made of tempered glass.
Office partitions
The room dividers in your office building are made of tempered glass so that they won’t cause injury when an employee bumps into and accidentally break them.
Retail store fixtures
The display cases and tables in retail stores are made of tempered glass because they’re tough enough that they won’t break when someone tries to steal something. Yet they’re also crystal clear, which allows customers to see what’s on display.
Railings
The glass railings in department stores, offices, and commercial and public spaces are made of tempered glass for the public’s safety.
Countertops and tabletops
Because they withstand heat and resist scratches so well, tempered glass is often used to make conference tables, kitchen countertops, reception desks, coffee tables, and other types of furniture.
Solar panels
The thermal strength, heat resistance, and durability of tempered glass make it the ideal material for solar panels. Tempered glass will break into smaller, duller pieces than annealed glass, making it the safer choice. Tempered glass can also be found around the home in heat-adjacent objects such as stovetops, counters, ovens, and table tops. Essentially, toughened glass can be found anywhere that requires glass to withstand a great deal of wear and tear. It is specifically made to avoid injury in case of breakage and provides an ideal solution.