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Clear glass is all the same, right?
Wrong.
Clear glass may seem like a catch-all term for glass sheets that are colorless and transparent. Conversationally, the broad term usually works.
However, there are some glasses that are clearer than others. And that’s where there’s some confusion.
One of the biggest misuses of the blanket term is when describing low-iron glass vs. clear glass.
While both commercial glass types are clear, they serve distinct purposes and have stark differences.
6 FAQs About Low-Iron Glass vs Clear Glass
As two similar commercial glass types, there are often plenty of questions about what makes each different and their characteristics. We’ve compiled a list of the five most common questions regarding low-iron glass vs. clear glass.
1. What Is Low-Iron Glass & How’s It Different From Clear Glass?
Let’s start with the standard.
Clear glass is what you’ll find in windows and commercial doors. Also known as annealed or standard glass, it’s one of the most common commercial glass types. Standard, clear glass is made by combining soda ash, lime, and sand and heating the materials until they become molten. The superheated mixture is then shaped and cooled.
Low-iron glass is one of the clearest glasses on the market. Made using silica with nominal iron content, low-iron glass is manufactured through the exact same heating and shaping process as clear glass.
So what’s the difference between low-iron vs clear glass? Color and transparency.
- Color: With trace amounts of iron, low-iron glass is colorless. Unlike standard clear glass, low-iron glass maintains its clarity no matter how thick a piece is when viewed straight on. When looking at a sheet’s edges, there’s a faint, bluish tone, which is overcome by colors around the piece, such as shower tile. In clear glass pieces, a greenish tint becomes more pronounced the thicker a sheet is.
- Transparency: As a glass with almost no impurities, low-iron glass does not hinder light from passing through it. Compared to clear glass, low-iron glass improves light brightness by up to 8%.
2. Is Low-Iron Glass Colorless?
While we covered this in the last section, it’s worth digging into a little more as it’s one of the most common questions.
When viewed straight on, low-iron glass does have a colorless appearance. Its edge has a slightly bluish tint when viewed from the side that does not change, no matter how thick a pane is. Low-iron glass edges pick up the color of objects around it, such as bathroom tile. Consider this when comparing a small sample piece in a showroom to the finished product when it's installed.
3. Is Low-Iron Glass Stronger?
While made from different materials, low-iron glass and clear glass have about the same strength. With additional fabrication, both commercial glass types easily withstand heavy, blunt impacts.
Through the tempering process, glass sheets become up to 5x stronger. What’s more, tempered glass panes improve safety when broken. Should a low-iron tempered glass pane shatter, it breaks into small, pebble-like pieces rather than jagged shards.
Resource: Learn more about the tempering process:
When used in laminated pieces, clear and low-iron glass also resist breaking, but not through improved strength. Laminated glass is made by bonding two glass plies to a clear vinyl interlayer. When broken, glass shards stay in place because the bond to the middle layer doesn’t allow pieces to fall out of the unit.
4. Is Standard Glass More Scratch Resistant?
On this front, clear glass takes the cake. Low-iron glass is manufactured with silica and tends to be slightly less scratch resistant than clear glass. That’s not to say clear glass is immune to scratches through normal use -- it indeed can be scratched.
By covering low-iron or clear glass in special coatings, both glasses are protected from scratches and additional damage. Talk to your commercial glass manufacturer about protective coating options for your investment in glass.
5. Low-Iron Vs. Clear Glass: Which Is More Expensive?
The company is the world’s best clear toughened laminated glass supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Because it’s a specialty product made from a unique material, low-iron glass costs more. It’s 20-30% more expensive.
Think of it like buying a car. The luxury edition -- which boasts more features and is a better-quality vehicle -- is always more expensive than the base model.
6. Where Do I Use Low-Iron Glass?
Clear glass and low-iron glass fill many of the same applications -- for instance, they’re both popular types of commercial window glass.
However, low-iron glass is ideal for projects where clarity matters most, such as interior design, where glass shouldn’t impede views or obstruct the brilliance of color in a space.
Low-iron glass is ideal for:
- Custom shower enclosures
- Display cases
- Glass walls
- Merchandising windows
- Tabletop covers
- Furniture
- Entranceways
- Spandrels
- Balusters
- Cabinetry
Low-Iron Glass vs Clear Glass: The Differences Are Clear
While both commercial glasses may be referred to using the same terminology, it’s important to understand the difference between low-iron glass vs. clear glass. Being able to differentiate between the two -- especially when designing a project or placing an order -- ensures you’ll get the glass you need.
In addition to being fabricated for enhanced strength and durability, low-iron glass and clear glass can be cut to shape for your project.
Resource: Learn about our glass-shaping and cutting capabilities.
(Editor's note: This article was originally published March 2021 and was recently updated.)
In the world of architecture, glass
has, undoubtedly, made its mark with its innovative abilities and superior
fluid aesthetic appeal. But, glass, as we know it today, has had its genesis
from a special type of glass, which is known as the annealed glass.
Let us find out all about annealed glass.
A Glimpse into Annealed glass
Annealed glass, also commonly known as float glass and clear glass, is the
foundation on which modern glass innovations rest. Annealed glass is made from the
process of annealing. The annealing temperature falls in the range of 454-degree to 482-degree Celsius. Annealed glass is subjected to a regulated
cooling process in the ‘annealing lehr’. This controlled cooling process helps
the annealed glass get free
from internal stress. After the glass is cooled gradually in the ‘annealing
lehr’ it comes out with uniform thickness and a flat surface. Once this process
is done, annealed glass can be
drilled, cut, filleted and worked on quite easily.
Points To Consider Before Buying
Annealed Glass
If you are
looking to purchase an annealed glass
for your residence, workplace, or any other commercial establishment, you
should know a couple of things about annealed
glass.
An excellent feature of annealed glass is its superior clarity. The
high-quality clarity of the glass has an excellent lustre which is why it is
best suited for building showcases in your home or workplace. When buying annealed glass, make sure to pick one that offers
100% distortion-free clear vision, as it will complement the purpose of a
showcase well. Moreover, when installed in windows, the high clarity of annealed glass allows for a higher degree of
natural light to permeate into your home or office, making the interiors bright
and cheerful.
- Customisable as Per Architectural Projects
Annealed glass is highly favoured in the
construction of various architectural projects. This is because different
processing techniques can be carried out on the annealed
glass. Thermal toughening, sandblasting, acid-etching,
insulating, glazing are just some of the processing techniques that can easily
be carried out on the annealed glass. Since, annealed glass can be cut, drilled, and
polished, you can get it customised as per your final requirements. While
purchasing annealed glass, make
sure to pick a processing technique according to your needs. It is this quality
of the annealed glass, which makes it
highly popular for various architectural projects, like windows, room
partitions, showcases, balustrades, tabletops, and so on.
When buying glass, you should know how
to maintain it so that it retains its pristine condition. Annealed glass, in that respect, is quite easy
to work with. Annealed glass doesn’t
collect a lot of grime or dust. However, you should still know how to take care
of annealed glass so that
they stay dust-free. Wipe the annealed glass once
a week with a soft microfiber cloth for best results. You can soak the cloth in
soapy water to wipe any grime or debris off the glass surface. Also, always
ensure that you leave no soap residue on the glass surface after the cleaning
process as this will attract more dirt.
- Robust and Impact-Resistant Glass Solutions
Annealed glass is quite brittle and
can break when faced with a harsh impact. If you are thinking of
installing annealed glass, but you
want to ensure that it won’t break from any severe accidental impact, then you
can get the annealed glass further
processed to obtain toughened glass or laminated glass. The process of
tempering and laminating can make the annealed
glass stronger.
A toughened or tempered glass goes
through a thermal tempering which improves the annealed glass’ bending or tensile strength. This
makes toughened glass far more likely to resist harsh impact. Another quality
which the process of tempering provides is that in a situation of breakage,
toughened glass breaks into small, blunt chunks. These blunt chunks are less
likely to cause injuries to anyone. Toughened glass is also four to five times
stronger than annealed glass of
the same thickness and size.
On the other hand, laminated glass
offers you a robust structure that is difficult to break. The Polyvinyl Butyral
(PVB) interlayer holds the glass together to form an intact uniformed layer
upon any harsh impact. The interlayer in laminated glass can absorb the impact
and resist penetration. This results in the glass fragments sticking to the
frame and not shattering easily in the situation of a breakage. As the glass
doesn’t shatter easily, it minimises the risk of injuries. So, when
buying annealed glass, if you want to
get a tougher alternative, then opt to get your annealed glass further processed.
- Energy-Efficient and Glare Solutions
If you want to safeguard your home or
office from solar glare, fret not! Annealed glass is
available in several tints and shades, which can produce a diverse range of
opacities. While buying annealed glass, you can
opt for tinted annealed glass as
the tint will act as a barrier and protect your interior space against solar
glare. Tinted annealed glass can
allows natural light to pass while keeping you safe from Ultraviolet rays and
Infrared rays.
If energy-efficiency is one of your
main criteria when installing windows in your property, then you should know that annealed glass alone won’t be able to make
your property energy-efficient. This is why you should consider the different
glazing options available in the market. Durable and high-quality glazing can
offer many additional benefits to your interior space. Double-glazing can keep
the heat inside your property in winters and reduce heat flow into the interior
space in summer. This will help you in reducing the usage of artificial heating
or cooling systems and will make your property more energy-efficient.
Additionally, this will also help in saving more on energy bills.
When looking to buy high-quality annealed glass for your interiors, turn to AIS Glass. AIS Glass is India’s most significant and organised player in the architectural glass processing segment. Our superior-quality annealed glass with high precision flatness is highly customisable and can be used for all your architectural projects. As India’s leading company in integrated glass manufacturing, we offer high-end glass products for all your architectural needs. Moreover, we offer a complete 360-degree glass solution for all your glass needs. Our glass solutions include tempered glass, laminated glass and much more!
So, reach out to
us today!
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