Tempered Glass
Tempered Glass is a high surface compression safety glazing material that is required by both national and local building for uses where human impact is a concern. Tempered glass is created by heating the glass in a furnace, sometimes called an oven, to 1100-1300 degrees Fahrenheit and quickly cooling(quenching) the glass. This process puts the surface of the glass in a state of compression while leaving the internal areas of the glass in a state of tension. These combining forces increase the strength of the glass to at least 4 times the strength of annealed glass. Uses for tempered glass include door glass, sidelites and areas close to a walking surface. AGC safety tempered glass complies with CPSC 16cfr 1201 Cat II, and ANSI z.97.1. When strength is a concern, look to AGC Tempered Glass for quality and durability.
Heat Strengthened
Heat Strengthened Glass is a lower surface compression version of tempered glass and is used where increased resistance to wind, snow, and dead loads are desirable. Additionally, heat strengthened glazing is used to increase the resistance of the glass to thermal stresses that may cause breakage. Heat Strengthened glass is created by heating the glass in a furnace, sometimes called an oven, to 1100-1300 degrees Fahrenheit and cooling(quenching) the glass gradually. This process puts the surface of the glass in a state of compression while leaving the internal areas of the glass in a state of tension. When strength and low distortion are important attributes of your needs, look to AGC Heat Strengthened Glass to fill the void. Heat strengthened glass is not a safety glazing product
