Float Glass vs Tempered Glass (Toughened Glass): Know The Difference! (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between float glass tempered and toughened glass? ›

Toughened safety glass is up to five times stronger than clear float glass. It offers the highest resistance to impact and is therefore commonly used in glass doors. The toughening process reduces the risk of thermal breakage.

Tempered glass is harder to break, but poses more of a security risk when it is broken. In contrast, float glass is much easier to break, but the sharp shards of glass are going to cause big problems for any potential intruders.

Float glass manufacturers create low-iron glass, also known as extra-clear glass or optically clear glass, by reducing the amount of iron in the molten glass formula. This is more transparent than regular glass, and doesn't have that aforementioned greenish tint.

Toughened glass, or safety glass, or tempered glass is ordinary float glass that has been made force-resistant and hence, this type of glass is six times as hard to break as ordinary glass panes.

Float glass uses common glass-making raw materials, typically consisting of sand, soda ash (sodium carbonate), dolomite, limestone, and salt cake (sodium sulfate) etc. Other materials may be used as colourants, refining agents or to adjust the physical and chemical properties of the glass.

Float glass is used for smaller windows in domestic housing, whereas larger windows are made from toughened glasses. Glass is used for windows for both aesthetic and functional purposes, allowing the occupants to see out and at the same time allowing light in.

As we saw earlier, float glass is treated and cured in an oven to gain strength and durability. Despite it being more substantial than plate glass, it has the same amount of thickness, thereby revealing its incredible density and making it the superior glass for designing your space's interior and exteriors.

This toughness gives tempered glass a far higher load and breakage resistance. Toughened glass needs to be hit a lot harder than other safety glass in order to break. Whereas laminated glass holds in place when shattered, toughened glass breaks up into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Float glass is a clear, inexpensive and ease to work with due to its flat surface.

Normally, tempered glass has completely smooth edges due to the extra processing it goes through, while other types of glass usually have scuffed or ridged edges. If the edges of the glass exposed, run your fingers along them.

Is toughened glass clear? ›

Typically used for residential safety glazing, our 4mm Toughened Safety Glass is available in a range of patterns as well as clear.

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.

Float glass is a so-called flat glass, which is produced in a float glass process. To do this, the molten glass is applied to a bath of liquid tin. Since the glass is lighter than tin, it floats on the surface and spreads out completely evenly.

Annealed Glass

Otherwise known as float glass, is easily broken and breaks into glass shards which are very sharp and very dangerous. This is the base glass that is used in the production of other glass products such as laminated glass.

After annealing (controlled cooling) the glass emerges as a 'fire' polished product with virtually parallel surfaces. A float plant, which operates non-stop for between 10-15 years, makes around 6000 kilometres of glass a year in thicknesses of 0.4 mm to 25 mm and in widths up to 3 metres.

Float Glass (Clear Glass)

Upon impact float glass breaks into large sharp pieces. These pieces can cause injuries to people; hence float glass is not used as safety glass.

Annealed Float Glass

This is the only process undergone by the glass making it the cheapest type. The glass can be cut, drilled into and polished without the risk of internal stresses that would cause it to shatter. Annealed Glass offers no safety features, it breaks into random shards that can cause serious injury.

Float glass is your standard style of glass. Also called annealed glass, manufacturers start with a shallow bath of molten metal, usually tin. They combine the ingredients that go into making glass and heat it to a molten state. They then pour a continuous stream of the molten glass onto the metal bath's surface.

The water droplet method.

After you clean the glass thoroughly, place a single drop of water gently onto the glass from about 1 to 1.5 inches away on both sides of the glass. (Don't touch the glass when you drop the water.) Then compare the results. If the water drop spreads out, it's the non-tin side.

Why is it called float glass? ›

It is called “float glass” because of the process by which it was formed; literally floating the liquid glass over liquid tin and slowly cooling it (referred to as annealing) to become what we commonly call “plate glass.”

Sheet & Float Glass

Float glass in thicknesses of 3/8" and above are considered Heavy Plate.

Toughened glass, like that used in shower screens, is the only type of glass that can “explode”. Obviously other types of glass can smash and crack. Exploding glass is a phenomenon by which toughened glass (or tempered) may spontaneously break (or explode) without any apparent reason.

Glass toughened is known to have higher thermal strength, with the ability to withstand high temperatures up to 250°C. Toughened glass is difficult to break but in the event of a breakage, disintegrates into small, harmless blunt pieces.

Toughened glass is known as a type of safety glass for a reason. It is five times stronger than regular glass of the same size and thickness, which means it can withstand a much harder hit without breaking and is less prone to shattering.

3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm and 19mm thickness.

1/4 to 3/8 inch thick "clear float" glass is commonly used to protect furniture - desk tops, dressers, nightstand, coffee tables, etc. The cost for this type of glass is typically more than $7 per square foot, with the most common customization being edge cuts which increases the price further.

What is toughened glass? Toughened glass – also known as tempered glass – is up to five times stronger than regular glass. This is achieved by heating regular glass at high temperatures (650°C) and then cooling very quickly.

Toughened glass is five times stronger than regular glass, and thus can bear load without breakage. This safety and resilient quality of toughened glass makes it a perfect fit for homes, especially those with young children. 2. Toughened glass is manufactured by exposing regular glass to extreme heat.

Toughened Glass will be stamped in one corner, which is in accordance to building regulations, and we cannot stop this stamp from being put on. However, if the glass is being used for furniture purposes a smaller 'furniture stamp' can be requested.

What is better than toughened glass? ›

Laminated glass is even more beneficial, heightening both security and safety. Under impact, the plastic interlayer in the laminated glass holds the whole structure together – this means no hole is left to bait thieves, and also means that dangerous shards do not scatter in the surrounding area.

Tempered or toughened glass is also as much as 6 times stronger than untreated glass as well as being resistant to impacts. The safety glass credentials come in when tempered/toughened glass is broken into smaller, rounder edged pieces.

Because of this compressive strength, when a toughened glass suffers a severe impact, it breaks into small, blunt chunks instead of jagged shards of glass. This makes toughened glass safer than ordinary glass as it is less likely to cause injuries in a rare breakage situation.

Tempered glass is used for its safety and strength in a variety of applications, including passenger vehicle windows, shower doors, aquariums, architectural glass doors and tables, refrigerator trays, mobile phone screen protectors, bulletproof glass components, diving masks, and plates and cookware.

Tempered Glass is about four times stronger than regular class and is known for its safety. And, unlike regular glass, tempered glass fractures into small, relatively harmless pieces. This is possible because during the annealing process the glass is cooled down slowly, which makes the glass much stronger.

Tempered glass is about four times stronger than "ordinary," or annealed, glass. And unlike annealed glass, which can shatter into jagged shards when broken, tempered glass fractures into small, relatively harmless pieces. As a result, tempered glass is used in those environments where human safety is an issue.

Float glass can break due to excessive thermal stresses. Thermal breakage occurs due to uneven heating of glass. The uneven heating can be caused by solar irradiance or other heat sources. For high rise buildings float glass should not be used in exteriors as it may break due to high wind loads.

10mm Toughened Glass is up to five times stronger than ordinary (float) glass of the same thickness. Because of its increased strength, Toughened Glass allows architects and builders far greater scope in their use of glass in buildings.

Additionally, float glass that hasn't been properly cooled can be brittle or break due to the thermal stresses experienced during manufacturing. For this reason, the entire manufacturing process requires special attention.

This toughness gives tempered glass a far higher load and breakage resistance. Toughened glass needs to be hit a lot harder than other safety glass in order to break. Whereas laminated glass holds in place when shattered, toughened glass breaks up into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Is tempered glass better than toughened glass? ›

Tempered Glass and Toughened Glass are practically the same and the terms are used interchangeably. Extremely durable and often used for its safety features, Tempered glass is also made through a special process and is treated with heat or chemicals to increase its strength.

Toughened glass is similar to tempered glass and follows the same strengthening process. However it's much stronger. Toughened glass is designed to shatter into “break safe” fragments rather than shards, reducing the chances of injury.

For the highest degree of protection, opt for laminated glass. It is manufactured by bonding together two or more sheets of glass with a plastic interlayer, usually PVB.

Due to its structural strength, it is used in architectural applications such as glass doors, partition walls and windows on the side of buildings. In-office spaces, toughened glass can enhance the environment when used in glass doors, desks and partitions.

Toughened glass is five times stronger than regular glass, and thus can bear load without breakage. This safety and resilient quality of toughened glass makes it a perfect fit for homes, especially those with young children.

Tempered glass is heat-treated to make it much stronger than ordinary glass. If a panel of glass has been properly tempered, it should resist scratches when scraped with something sharp like a razor blade. However, you will occasionally come across tempered glass that shows scratches.

Answer: If temperature does not exceed 290 ºC and there is no rapidly change of temperature over 150 ºC, tempered glass will not break. Thereby, environment condition generally does not cause tempered glass to break unless temperature exceeding 290 ºC.