As you all know glass has become the most popular choice for building materials. Hence structural glass becomes the material of choice for architects and builders. structural components made of monolithic glass can not only withstand considerable bending and compressive stress but meet all safety requirements as well.
Even though the glass being a popular choices it shows certain weakness in its characteristics. Spontaneous glass breakage is known to occur in toughened glasses, its due to the stabilising of nickel sulphide. Nickel sulphide crystals (NiS) occur in molten glass during float glass production process. The risk of breakage is comparatively low, but still unpredictable
To minimise the risk of spontaneous tempered glass breakage due to Nickel Sulphide inclusions is to undergo a Glass Heat Soak Test. Heat Soak Testing is a process where the glass is heated to a temperature of 290°C in a heat-soak oven for between 2-4 hours. The heating process will cause the nickel sulphide to expand to its normal state and thus these imperfect glass panes will break in a controlled factory environment rather than in an installation site.
For glass that have been undergone to heat-soak test, we can assure with 95% of glass that are free from NiS inclusions. But it doesnt guarantee that that all heat-soaked test glass will not exhibit spontaneous breakage.
Heat Soak Testing (HST) Applications
Heat-soaked tempered glass is recommended where the risk of spontaneous breakage would cause severe difficulty, in replacement process, Some of the common areas where Heat soak testing is evident are
- Roof
- Canopy
- Glass Railings
- High level glazing
Interglass Co LLC being a pioneer in the tempering glass industry in UAE, offers heat-soak testing services to our customers. For more information about reducing the risk of spontaneous breakage contact our technical team at the earliest
