The windshields of cars are made of a specialized form of glass, specifically designed for this purpose. This glass is composed of silica sand, soda ash, dolomite, waste glass, limestone, and small amounts of potassium oxide and aluminum oxide. On the other hand, the rear glass, also known as rear window glass, rear windshield, or rear glass, is made of tempered glass, also known as safety glass. When broken, it breaks into small round pieces, unlike the front windshield which is made of laminated glass. Laminated glass is created by sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two pieces of glass.
The combination of pressure and heat chemically and mechanically bonds PVB to the glass. This process starts at a float glass manufacturing plant where raw materials such as silica sand and limestone are combined and floated on a bed of molten tin to create a long ribbon of glass. In 1903, French chemist Edouard Benedictus discovered the secret of shatter-resistant glass when he dropped a glass jar filled with a dry collodion film. This discovery has been used by many companies such as AGC Glass Company North America, Guardian Industries, PGW Glass Pilkington North America and Vitro. In your car, the glass used for the windshield is different from the glass used for the side and rear windows. The back window and front and rear door windows are made of tempered glass while the windshield is made of laminated glass.
Tempered glass is manufactured by rapidly heating it to more than 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and then rapidly cooling it to room temperature. Laminated glass may bend slightly under impact and is less likely to break than normal safety glass. Glass manufacturers continue to explore new ideas to make glass stronger, safer and more adaptable to new vehicles. Ellen Rogers has been involved with the glass industry for almost 20 years and is the editor of USGlass Magazine and the Architects' Guide to Glass magazine. Molten plastic is then injected into the mold, and after cooling, a plastic frame is formed around the glass so that the windshield can be shipped to a car or glass manufacturer. Glass and PVB sheets are heat fused and laminated safety glass is born. In conclusion, car windows are made from two types of materials: laminated or tempered glass.
Laminated glass consists of two pieces of glass with vinyl in between while tempered glass is created by rapidly heating and then cooling it to room temperature by introducing it through a blower system.