When automobile manufacturers broadcast television commercials boasting their vehicle’s new safety features, they rarely mention the windscreen or the surrounding windows, although the glass surrounding you in those cars has been designed and built with your safety in mind. Although automotive glass seems to be the same as other types of glass, it performs quite differently.
The windows in most homes are composed of a common type of glass that, when broken, shatters into enormous pieces. These windows don’t experience the same level of stress as an automobile window, except for a sliding glass door or front door. On the other hand, an automobile will experience several potholes, pebbles, and fender benders over its lifetime. As a result, two separate types of safety glass are produced from automotive glass to safeguard both the vehicle’s structure and the people within. Laminated glass is the earliest kind of glass and is used for windscreens. Tempered glass, the second form of glass, is utilised for the side windows of vehicles. Do check out Phoenix Auto Glass
PVB and Laminated Glass
Two pieces of glass are sandwiched with a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) to create laminated glass. A succession of pressure rollers is used to seal the glass and PVB, which is followed by heating. The PVB is chemically and physically bonded to the glass by this combination of pressure and heat. The chemical binding is produced by the PVB’s hydrogen bonding to the glass, whereas the mechanical bond is produced by the PVB’s adhesiveness.
Laminated automotive glass may serve two crucial purposes in automobiles because of its strength. It first enables the passenger-side airbag to properly deploy. When the passenger airbag is activated, it bounces off the windscreen and flies right towards the passenger instead of the driver, whose side airbags typically travel straight towards the driver from the steering wheel. Laminated glass has the power to retain passengers in a car in the event of an accident. Because the glass wasn’t robust enough in the past, people may be ejected through the windscreen, but modern windscreens offer greater security.
Tempered Glass
While laminated glass and tempered glass both contribute to the safety of a car, they are very different in terms of both shape and function. The back window and the side windows of automobiles are made of this type of glass. The process of making tempered glass involves heating the glass to a high temperature and then quickly bringing it down to room temperature using a blower system.
Developments in Automotive Glass in the Future
More glass is used in modern vehicles than ever before, including bigger windscreens, sunroofs, and even glass panels that entirely replace the roof. Strength and safety requirements must thus keep pace with the sector. Gorilla Glass, a proprietary laminate material from major glass producer Corning, is one such invention in this area. In comparison to conventional laminated windscreens, the new composition is said to be stronger, lighter, and more resistant to damage from hail and rock chips.