11 Facts About Safety glass

Safety glass is glass with additional safety features that make it less likely to break, or less likely to pose a threat when broken.

Laminated Safety glass was invented in 1903 by the French chemist Edouard Benedictus.

In many developed countries safety glass is part of the building regulations making properties safer.

Toughened Safety glass is processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal Safety glass.

Laminated Safety glass is composed of layers of Safety glass and plastic held together by an interlayer.

When laminated Safety glass is broken, it is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral, between its two or more layers of Safety glass, which crumble into small pieces.

The interlayer keeps the layers of Safety glass bonded even when broken, and its toughening prevents the Safety glass from breaking up into large sharp pieces.

Laminated Safety glass is normally used when there is a possibility of human impact or where the Safety glass could fall if shattered.

In geographical areas requiring hurricane-resistant construction, laminated Safety glass is often used in exterior storefronts, curtain walls and windows.

Wire mesh Safety glass has a grid or mesh of thin metal wire embedded within the Safety glass.

The wire prevents the Safety glass from falling out of the frame even if it cracks under thermal stress, and is far more heat-resistant than a laminating material.