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Float glass
0.25-5 usd/kg
Float glass is soda lime glass produced as flat sheet, which can be further processed by bending, strengthening and laminating. It is named after the method of production: molten glass is floated on a pool of liquid tin to produce a perfectly flat and smooth sheet.
Its technical strength is far higher than its practical strength. Glass is very brittle and any imperfections (scratches or flaws, for example) act as a stress concentrator, causing premature failure when even a relatively small amount of tension is applied, such as by bending. So even though the theoretical strength is in the order of GPa, tiny imperfections reduce the strength down to around 14 MPa. The mechanical properties are enhanced with strengthening and tempering, which can raise tensile strength to 40 and 70 MPa, respectively.
Sustainability concerns
Non-renewable ingredients
Raw material generates polluting by-products
Plain float glass is annealed to release internal stresses that build up during manufacture. Coatings are applied to enhance specific properties (such as anti-reflective or heat-reflecting), or for decorative effect (such as framing an oven window). Printing is used for a range of applications, such as conductive inks for printed circuits on control panels or heating elements (eliminating additional parts such as circuit boards), colours and effects for decoration, and special colours to conceal sensors.
Flat glass is not recycled as a circular material like packaging glass (soda lime glass). This is mainly due to the fact that there are many different variants – such as automotive versus construction, laminates, coatings and contamination – and this compromises the quality of recycled material. The majority of flat glass is used in glazing applications, and safety is often a major concern. In this case, transparency and clarity are critical, as well as mechanical properties. Even minor flaws or deviation from specification would make the material unusable.
