3.1 INTRODUCTION G.

James produce laminated glass

covering the full spectrum from basic 2 ply
• In 1903 French chemist Edward Benedictus
clear laminates, through tinted, reflective to
accidentally broke a bottle of cellulose acetate
multiply, bandit and bullet resistant, and
in his laboratory. As a result, he discovered that
very high impact performance products.
the cellulose, on hardening, held the fragments
of glass together.
• Further development by Dupont and Monsanto
led to the use of laminated windscreens in cars Table 3.2a: Manufacturing Capabilities
after the Second World War.
Minimum Maximum
3.2 PROCESS
Thickness 5.38mm 50mm
• The glass being thoroughly
washed and dried before passing into an
Size 100mm x 100mm 2440mm x 3660mm
airconditioned ‘clean room’.
• A PVB interlayer, initially translucent in
appearance, is sandwiched between the
glass(es) which then pass through pressurised
rollers and heating ovens
• The glass is then autoclaved where it is again
heated and subjected to extreme pressure
 3.3 BENEFITS
SAFETY
• The glass and interlayer combine to absorb
the force of the impact Should the impact
be sufficient to break the glass, the
resulting fragments typically remain intact,
firmly adhered to the PVB interlayer.
• This important characteristic significantly
reduces the likelihood of serious injury
qualifying laminated glass as a Grade A
safety glass.
SECURITY
• The interlayer will resist penetration
ensuring any attempt to enter the premises
will be slow and noisy.
• Also, if attacked the glass will tend to remain
in the opening, keeping wind and rain out of
the building until it can be replaced at a
convenient time.
SOUND REDUCTION
• For most applications, laminated glass
provides an effective, low cost method
of reducing the transmission of noise
through the glass
• Achieved through the ‘viscoelastic’
properties of the PVB interlayer which
dampens the coincidence dip (See
Section 1.14) in the mid to high
frequency range (1000 - 2000 Hz)
HEAT AND GLARE CONTROL
• Can reduce heat gain by absorbing this
radiated heat while simultaneously cutting
down the amount of glare that occurs with
high levels of natural light.
• Lower costs associated with cooling the
interior.
UV ELIMINATION
• The PVB interlayer filters the
sun eliminating up to 99% of
UV rays while allowing the
important visible light to
pass through.
LOW VISIBLE DISTORTION
• Facades glazed with
laminated, annealed glass avoid
the risk of visible distortions,
providing significantly sharper
reflections.
 3.5 OPTILIGHT
3.4 APPLICATIONS • Offer optimum light transmission, reduced
solar heat gain/loss and minimum
The many features and possible configurations reflectance while maintaining the natural
of laminated glass combine to provide a toning of the glass.
product that has a wide and varied range of • Optilight provides a cost-effective
applications: product with proven durability, reliability
• Overhead glazing, skylights and rooflights and service ability.
• Glazed areas surrounding gymnasiums • Suitable for vision
and swimming pools and overhead glazing applications
• Glass balustrading and lift wells
• Shower screens, mirrors, sliding doors
and sidelights
• Shopping centers, offices and banks
• Hospitals, schools and libraries
• Aquariums and zoos
• Jails, embassies and security vehicles
• Blast resistant glazing
3.4 CYCLONE RESISTANT LAMINATE
• Designed to resist penetration of flying
debris and maintain clear vision
(dependent on glass configuration) in the
event of breakage.
• Held captive in a suitable framing system
to prevent the glass from evacuating the
building when subjected to severe storm
and cyclone conditions.
• Meets the requirement of resisting
penetration from impact of a 4kg, 50mm x
100mm timber plank on end, travelling at
15mtrs/sec. This is equivalent to an impact
Energy of 450J.
3.7 ANTI-BANDIT GLASS
• Increased thickness of
interlayer which foil attacks from
such items as bricks, hammers and
axes
• Held captive in a suitable framing
system to prevent
the glass evacuating the building
when subjected to an attack.
3.8 CHARACTERISTICS
• Edge Delamination
the glass edges are exposed,
delamination is the result of a
breakdown in the bond between
the polyvinyl butyral interlayer and
the glass