When it comes to glass, there are a lot of different terms and properties that you might not be familiar with. Annealed and tempered glass are two types of safety glass that have different uses and benefits. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the difference between annealed and tempered glass so that you can make the best decision for your needs.
What is Annealed Glass?
Annealed glass has a range of benefits and is used in countless applications across the globe. Made by heating up the material until it reaches optimal softness, then cooled slowly, annealed glass has a distinct advantage over other glazing materials in terms of long-term durability.
Because of this process, annealed glass has high resistance to breakage withstanding greater levels of thermal stress than untreated glass or even toughened glass. This makes annealed glass ideal for many applications including:
- Windows
- Doors
- Display cases
- Desktop and Tabletops
- Balustrades
- Staircases
It provides safety without compromising clarity and aesthetics making it the perfect choice for designers everywhere.
What is Tempered Glass?
Tempered or Toughened glass is an incredibly useful material that can be used in a variety of applications due to its strength, scratch resistance, and thermal durability. Its production process begins by heating a slab of glass until it becomes soft. Once the correct temperature is attained, the glass is quickly cooled with jets of cold air resulting in a harder, more brittle structure. This change in material property makes the tempered glass more resistant to impacts and breaking than standard untreated window or tabletop glass. This makes it ideal for use in:
- Electronics
- Automobiles
- Cooktops
- Modern art sculpture
Main Difference between Annealed and Tempered Glass:
The two types of glass may look the same but there are subtle differences between them.
Annealed glass is stronger and more resistant to fractures compared to tempered glass, making it the more ideal material for homes and commercial spaces.
On the other hand, although tempered glass breaks more easily, it is designed specifically to break into small blunt pieces so that less injury can occur than with a standard annealed piece of glass.
This makes it better suited for applications that involve human contact, such as automobile windshields. Ultimately, both types have their respective advantages and disadvantages depending on what your needs are; understanding which type you need is key to ensuring safety and durability in any given project.
Glass Recommendations:
Annealed glass is the preferred material to use wherever strength and safety are paramount, such as in car windshields. This type of glass involves a heat treatment process that softens it, making it more durable and less prone to chips or cracks.
On the other hand, tempered glass is ideal for applications where shatter-resistance is essential, like shower doors.
The production process for this type of glass involves heating it up to an extremely high temperature. Then it is quickly cooled down in order to achieve a much higher level of hardness than conventional annealed glass. Additionally, tempered glass also produces small pebbles when broken instead of large sharp shards that could potentially be hazardous.
In conclusion, annealed and tempered glass are two different types of glass with different properties. The main difference between the two is that annealed glass is stronger and more durable, while tempered glass is more brittle but safer if it breaks.
Each type of glass has its own advantages and disadvantages and it is important to understand these differences when choosing the right type of glass for a specific application. When strength, safety, or shatter resistance are important considerations, knowing the differences between annealed and tempered glass can help in making the best choice possible for any project.
Additionally, it is essential to remember that professional help should always be sought when installing any kind of glass material. Taking these precautionary measures can ensure that all projects using either annealed or tempered glass withstand their intended use safely and securely.