Clear toughened glass in lift well and balustrade QLD Glass.

01
clear and low-iron float glass

The float glass process is the most common method of flat glass production in the world. This process involves pouring recycled glass, silica sand, limestone and soda ash from a furnace onto a large bed of molten tin. This mixture slowly solidifies over the molten tin as it enters the annealing oven where it travels along rollers under a controlled cooling process. From this point the glass emerges in one continuous long ribbon where it is then cut and further processed to customer specification.
See also pages 122-123.

clear float glass

As the name suggests, clear float glass is colourless and transparent when viewed face on. When viewed on edge, it displays a slight green tinge. Clear float glass offers a very high level of natural daylight or visible light transmittance to pass through it. National Glass offers a complete range of clear float glass products from 2mm to 25mm thick. These products are sourced from quality float glass producers. Clear float is sold on a cut-to-size or bulk basis in annealed, toughened and laminated form.

features and applications

0  Substrate or base for toughened, laminated and mirrored glass; 0 Window glazing; 0  Retail, shopfronts and display counters; 0 Balustrading; 0 Shower enclosures; 0 Furniture.

glass performance diagram definitions

0  SHGC = Solar heat gain co-efficient; 0  U-value = Thermal insulation properties expressed in watts x m2 per degree Celsius; 0  VLT = % Visible light transmittance; 0  VLR = % Visible light reflectance.

The ultra clear character of Starphire glass is exemplified in this visitor centre project. The difference between the unglazed lower level breezeway and the Starphire glazed area is nearly imperceptible. Contrast that to the green appearance of the glass hand rails which are glazed with conventional clear glass.

performance: 4mm clear

3 SHGC 0.84 U-value 5.9 VLT 89% VLR 8%
outside 1 inside

Total solar radiation 100% / Total visible light 100%.

low iron ultra clear glass

Manufactured by removing a large proportion of the glass iron content, the green tinge usually associated with ordinary clear float glass, (particularly noticeable on the edges) is removed. Products such as Starphire and SuperClear are ultra clear, ideal for displaying the true colours of a viewed object. It is widely used as a base for painted glass applications such as internal cladding and splashbacks where the colour selected and painted is not tainted by the green tinge of ordi nary float glass. The low-iron content of the glass increases the solar energy transmission, thus making the glass also ideal for solar heat collectors, commercial greenhouses and photovoltaics. Available in 4/6/10/12/15 thicknesses in annealed, toughened and laminated.

features and applications

0  Avoids the greening inherent in ordinary clear glass; 0  Displays true colours, ideal for retail shopfronts and displays; 0  Displays true colours in painted glass use; 0  Clarity emphasizes skylights and entranceways, reception areas, lobbies or entire building facades.

The ordinary clear glass sample on the right changes the view through colour, unlike the Starphire sample on the left. Starphire compared to the dark green edge of ordinary clear glass (10mm thick glass).