Laminated-Glasses

It consists of two layers of glass with a layer of film, called the interlayer, in between them. The glass is designed this way in order to prevent it from shattering into sharp pieces when struck by an object or when the car is in an crash.

The interlayer in laminated glass is a film of a tough yet pliable material known as polyvinyl butyral (PVB). In the event that the glass breaks, the two layers are held together by the PVB, allowing the glass as a whole to bend and absorb the impact. This characteristic is especially important for car windshields. Ideally, the PVB layer will keep objects from penetrating through the glass and possibly injuring the car’s occupants. Laminated glass is also used in prisons, jewelry stores, hospitals, and other places where safety or security are paramount.

The French chemist Edouard Benedictus invented laminated glass in 1903. As is sometimes the case with inventions, his was inspired by an accident in his laboratory. One of his glass flasks has become coated with a plastic compound called cellulose nitrate. It was dropped, and broke but did not shatter into pieces.

Applications of Laminated-Glasses:

· Laminated glass is widely used in manufacturing and automotive industries and in a variety of commercial and residential applications because of its safety, security, sound abatement and solar control characteristics.

· In glass skylights, sunspaces, sloped glazing installations and curtain walls, there is always the possibility of glass breakage. This is why many building codes worldwide use laminated glass for overhead glazing.

· It is used in schools, hospitals, hotels and office buildings, and wherever there are sound control requirements.