Glass should be selected on the basis of thermal insulation requirement (climatic condition), sound insulation requirement (surrounding environment condition) and safety requirement.
ANNEALED GLASS
Annealed glass is the most common glass used in windows. Annealed glass is also known as a standard sheet of float glass. Annealing is actually a process of slowly cooling glass to relieve internal stresses after it is formed.
Annealing is the process of making the entire glass item uniformly hot and holding that temperature steady long enough to remove all stress caused from the manufacturing process. The annealing cycle also includes cooling down slow enough so as to not allow too much stress to build back up.
REFLECTIVE GLASS
Reflective glass is glass that has been treated with a metallic coating to allow it to reflect heat. It is not reflective in the sense that it acts as a mirror, although some products do indeed have a highly reflective surface, but rather in the sense that it reflects radiation rather than absorbing it.
TOUGHENED GLASSES
These are float glass which have been tempered under very high temperature, thus making them times stronger than the normal float glass. Due to heating they become brittle and because of that when broken they shatter into small pieces like automative glass.
The glass is heated to more than 600 °C and then quickly cooled. If broken, it shatters into many small blunt pieces.
Toughened glasses retain the light transmission and energy properties of the base product. Once toughened, they can no longer be cut or shaped
INSULATED GLASS
Basic double glazing consists of two sheets of Planibel float glass held together by a rigid hollow metal spacer. The space between the two sheets of glass is filled with dry air.
The key function of basic insulating glazing is thermal insulation. More functions can be added by replacing one of the glass components: enhanced thermal insulation, solar control, acoustic insulation, safety and decoration.
LAMINATED GLASS
When two glass sheets of any of the above mentioned glasses are sandwiched together with one or more layers of PVB plastic or resin it is called laminated glass. The process of sandwiching / lamination makes the glass much stronger and prevents easy breakage. Due to PVB Plastic or resin in between the glass does not shatter when it breaks.
Laminated glass is a sandwich made of one piece of plastic Poly Vinyl Butyral between two or more glasses.
TINTED GLASS
The glass used for windows in buildings, homes, and cars, while offering the advantage of letting light in, often compromises the privacy that the occupants desire, and can also let in more than the desired amount of heat. Tinted glass, however, provides an easy solution to these problems. This term refers to any glass that has been treated with a material such as a film or coating that reduces the transmission of light through it.
