Glass Materials

A:  Glass Materials


   I.  Textured Glass

        












Deep-wave water textured glass
Image from Fusion Glass Designs

1. How is this glass composed? 

There are two primary way for this glass to be produce, by kiln-cast and by standard float glass. The kiln-cast process occurs by forming the float glass over the moulds to create the textures. The glass is heated to melt into the mould and cooled to release the final product. The standard float glass  is laid over a ceramic sand, plaster or concrete moulds. The glass is heat, relaxing the glass material so that it can pick up the mould tecture, then it is slowly cooled and annealed.

	Type Textured Glass Main material Kiln cast and standard float glass Thickness At least 4-25mm Size Available up to 3150 - 1750mm Typical Uses Partitions, doors, screens, flooring, lighting, cladding, balustrades, counters, sculpture

   II.  Gorilla Glass

        

Gorilla Glass
Source from Corning.com.

1. What is this used for? 

It is an environmentally friendly product that uses alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass. The texture is a composition of chemicals durability and strength on most applications. The sheet is both strong and damage resistant.

	Type Gorilla Glass Main material Alkali-aluminosilicate Thickness At least 0.5-2.0mm Size Available up to 1250x900mm thin s Chemical makeup HCI (5%), NH4F:HF (10%), HF (10%), NaOH Typical Uses Protective cover for electronic displays; cell phones, laptop, mobile devices, touchscreen, optical components, and high strength glass.

              




   III.  Fibre Optics

        

Fiber optics

Image from Wiki

1. How is this glass composed? 

Fiber optics is a strand of glass, thin and long, that enable light and electrical pulses to pass through, allowing information to pass through. The round corners of the component and its properties enhance the ability of light and waves to transmit by looping, bending, twisting, and winding through the glass.  It is composed of glass core with a silica sleeve where the core allows the transmission of data and the silica sleeve stops the information from going beyond the tube. 

How is it made?

The fiber optic is produce by a process call modified chemical vaopor deposition. Through this process, oxygen is bubble through silicon chloride liquid, germanium chloride, and other chemicals to bond the pyhsical and optical properties such as refraction, coefficient of expansion, and melting point.  Then gas vapors are conducted in a synthetic silica or quartz tube where the torch is turned up and moves along the outside tube. This source of heat causes two things:

• The silicon and gernamium chemicals react with oxygen, forming the silicon dioxid and germanium dioxide.
• Silicon and gernanium dioxide bond together, fusing itself into the glass tube. 

The glass purity is maintained by adding corrosion-resistant plastic in the system, controlling the flow and composition of the mixture. 

Fiber optics atomic structure with silica

Image from Wiki

 











Fiber optics process

Image from Hikari optic bozai

	Type Fiber Optics Main material pure optical glass, silicon dioxide, germanium dioxide, silica sleeve Thickness At least 2-12mm Size Available up to any length Typical Uses Communications, lighting, wireless, networking, electrical devices, etc.

   IV. Self-cleaning Glass

        

Self Cleaning Glass
Source from Pilkington Activ.

1. What is this used for? 

A simple glass sheet with an ultraviolet light absorber to break down and loosen deposits that make it easy for the rain to wash away. The product, developed by Teflon needs no secondary process other than a simple application of the cerium oxide film on the exterior. The material must absorb enough UV rays in order for the system to work.

	Type Self-cleaning Glass Main material Silicate, cerium oxide film Thickness At least 0.5-2.0mm Size Available up to any size Chemical makeup SiO2,  CeO2 Typical Uses Commercial glass, office buildings, houses, automotive.

   V.  Tempered Bent Glass

                    










Tempered Bent Glass

Source from Precision Glass Bending Co.





    

Image from momoy.com

1. How is this glass used?

Various uses range from architectural elements like a curtain wall, green house, to glass domes. 

2. How is this glass composed?

3. How did the make up of the component change from other glasses? 

   VI.  Film Glass type

       Resistive touch panels

                  

 Image from Sony Labs

    

Image from Sony Labs

1. How is this glass used?

This type of glass is typically used for electronic devices such as; audio and visual, cell phones, and game machines. 

2. How is this glass composed?

                      

Most of the glass product is from a PE Glass film. There are two outer layers, the Upper and lower electrode glass film. Through additional elements, the glass becomes a touch sensitive responder because of the FPC (Flexible print circuit) and the double coated tape sandwiched between the electrodes.  
             

		Type FG Type Main material PE base film-glass Thickness At least 0.96 mm Rate for transparency At least 82 % Input method Polyethylene pen or finger FPC Polyimide base, Cu wiring Size 2 to 5 inches