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Clear Float GlassGlass is a transparent solid, analogous in structure to certain liquids in which the atoms assume a temporary arrangement, the only difference being that in glass the temporary structure has been 'frozen' into place, which means that the true description of glass ia a 'supercooled liquid'. The principal constituents of glass used in buildings are Silica, Soda and Lime, these materials are fused together at temperatures of 1490-1550 degrees centigrade, other ingredients are added to provide special properties such as tints, opacity and absorbtion. Float glass is made by 'floating' a layer of molten glass from the tweel onto the surface of molten tin and then onto the annealing lehr to give the glass it's lustre. While floating over the molten tin, the glass under the works of gravity and surface tension becomes smooth and flat on both sides.
Clear float glass is transparent and offers a high visible light transmittance. These products are sourced from good quality float glass producers. Clear float is sold as cut-to-size or bulk form. Clear float is also available in laminated and toughened form.
Applications KB Glass offers a complete range of float glass products from 2mm to 25mm thick.
Tinted Float GlassTinted float is produced by adding a colourant during a float glass production run. The most common colours are grey, bronze, green and blue. Apart from its function in an aesthetic sense, tinted float is primarily designed to reduce solar heat gain and glare and increase the comfort levels and reduce cooling costs in buildings.
Features Applications Toughened GlassThe large amount of elastic strain energy locked up in the toughened glass gives it a 'safe' fracture when broken. Failure at any point in a piece releases this strain energy by breaking down the stress arrangement, and the energy expends itself in shattering the whole piece into relatively safe small granules. While this characteristic is the justification for adopting certain types of toughened glass as a safety glass as specified in BS6206, care is necessary in the mounting and use of the glass. Nothing must be done which will injure the glass so as to break through the surface tension and break down the stress arrangement even locally. Chipping with a sharp or hard instrument is sufficient to do this: even touching-up the shape of a plate by grinding cannot be allowed: and the glass must always be mounted so that no metal - with the exception of lead, which is soft - or other hard material can make contact with it. The high surface compression stress makes toughened glass enormously resistant to thermal shock, because it is very difficult to give it any thermal treatment which will reverse this stress. It can be heated to about 250 degress centigrade and have cold water poured upon it; the splashing of molten lead upon it does not affect it and it is in successful use as a protective screen against spurting molten metal from welding processes and in steel works, although the latter applications the molten globules frequently stick firmly to the glass, making occasional renewal desireable. The strength and thermal endurance of toughened glass have brought about structures like curtain walling and all glass door assemblies which are able to withstand very severe conditions. Features Applications Laminated GlassLaminated glass is produced by permanently bonding two pieces of glass together with a tough plastic interlayer (polyvinyl butyral) under heat and Laminated glass when made from annealled glass will break like ordinary glass but the PVB interlayer will hold it together, stopping sharp shards of glass causing injury. Depending on the thickness of the annealled glass used, or the thickness of the PVB interlayer, Laminated glass can be described as a Safety glass or Anti-bandit glass and by increasing the layers, a Bullet proof glass. The following laminated glass is available: Three ply laminates. Applications: Laminated glass is also used for Shopfronts, Balcony panels, Glass floors, Stair Treads, Water Tanks and Observation windows for swimming pools.
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Features
pressure. The interlayer material is invisible when viewed through the glass. With glass on either side, the finished glass is indistinguishable from monolithic glass when installed in a frame. Most often, laminated glass is produced from annealed glass, but heat strengthened or tempered glass can be used when special performance needs are required such as glass floors or stair treads. 
