The usefulness of glass in homes can not be quantified at the moment as it continues to add more functions and purpose. Shelves made of glass help to create space for objects, flower vase or any other items in the bedroom, tables can be made of glass while you may choose to use a glass table top for greater serenity and elegance. Glass however is not made same way and can not definitely serve same purpose or function. Glass Units are made to function for a purpose and so is this type of glass called Insulated Glass Unit.
What is an Insulated Glass Unit?
Insulated Glass is a combination of two or more glass panes separated apart by a spacer and sealed by a sealant to form a single unit having one or more air spaces in between. The custom cut glass sheets or spaced apart to allow for the introduction of air spaces while the sealant used can be a primary or secondary sealant. The act of insulating a glass is also called double glazing and it is for the purpose of heat and ambience control. The insulating glass unit in any home functions to reduce heat and help air ambience while helping to reduce energy consumption through use of home air conditioning devices or gadgets. The technology behind the insulation of glass is such that offers so much as glass insulation can be fabricated with tinted coatings, reflective coatings and some other patterns to produce a glass that does not only work as thermal control but works as sound control and other aesthetic or performance. Insulating a glass can also be used to create bullet resistance, impact resistance, hurricane and blast situations amidst much other uses which can be requested from glass fabricating factories well grounded in the glass insulating procedures. The insulated glass units are of about 4 surfaces and each features for a specific duty. The first surface is the side that faces the building exteriors, while the second surface is the other end of the first surface. The forth surface is in the building interior direction while the third surface is its other side. As a process practiced at various glass factories, the glass insulating procedures involve custom cut glass by a spacer before the addition of dehydrated air or gas. Glass panes can be spaced apart by a spacer and machine used for the procedure include spacer conveyor, washing unit, drying unit, an extruder and vertical pressing out.
Components of Insulated Glass Units
There are various components of Insulated glass and each has a specific purpose to achieve in the unit. All are very important in the making of an insulated glass and they are listed and explained below.
- Glass Panes
The glass panes in an insulated unit can either be two or more. The choice of coatings for the insulation is based on the performance that fabricators want to add or improve. Monolithic glass is the most used but laminated glass and other coatings are also used on purpose.
- Frames
This is a very important component of the insulated glass and it offers the opportunity to space two or more panes of glass do as to allow the input of dehydrated air or gas. The frame is also called Spacer bar. The frame contains a desiccant and made of aluminium materials. The frame features to help hold the unit together, endure rigidity, mechanical support and thickness. Frames are of two different types; one joined with corner keys and the bent types.
- Desiccants
The desiccant is a substance that is used to absorb moisture from the insulated unit. It is put inside the frame and comes in several types including Silica and Zeolites. The desiccant that be used in the insulated glass units are to possess some qualities. These qualities involves the absorption of moisture and some hydrocarbons without absorbing gases like argon, krypton and other gases working to improve thermal performance in the insulated glass. The desiccant must also be free of any pre-absorbed nitrogen. These qualities will make a desiccant suitable for use in an insulated glass.
- Sealant
Just as the name suggests, sealant are effective adhesives and elastic substances that is used in the processes that produces insulated glass. Sealants are environment-friendly and not dangerous to human health. They transmit vapour at a low rate and are of two different types. There are primary and secondary sealant and both are useful to the manufacturing insulated glass.
Primary sealants works to fix the insulating glass units at the time it is being assembled together. Poly Isobutylene or butyl is the most used type of primary sealant.
Secondary sealants are adhesives that provide the glass structure by biding the glass panes in multi-planes insulated glass units together the sealants are of two components that must be mixed before used. The mixing and application can be done manually or by a robot. The polysulfide and silicon are major example of secondary sealants and they can both function to prevent moisture and vapour from gaining access into the air space of the insulate unit. The secondary sealants have ability to prevent chemical substances and water from rains to enter the air spaces.
- Gas Filling
This is another very important part and component of the insulated glass unit and it is the type of gas that is used to fill the glass. Based on the gas used, insulated glass can be divided into three; the famous and popular dry air filling and the inert gas filling and the vacuum glass unit that contains no air between the glass panes. The inert gas filling is the most expensive and most efficient of all and it contains inert gases such as krypton, argon and xenon. The process of filling air into insulated glass units is done by some mathematical calculations that provide he amount of gas to be filled into the glass units.
Difference between Monolithic Glass and Insulated Glass Units
There are some very important differences between the monolithic glass and the insulated glass unit. Some of the differences are explained below.
- Glass Panes or Sheets
The monolithic glass consist of just a single glass sheet or panes while the insulated glass units are made of two or more glass sheets with dry or inert glass filled in between the two panes and sealed.
- Sunlight Conduction
The monolithic glass has a direct and good contact with the outside sunlight and as such can conduct and transfer heat into the house on a sunny day. The insulated glass unit however has no direct contacts with the sunlight and as such can not conduct and transfer heat into the house.
- Temperature Control and Differences
The home temperature and the outside temperature is different but for monolithic glasses, the difference is high when the air conditioning device is used inside the building but for insulated glass units, he difference is low when the home is air conditioned.
- Energy Conservation
The monolithic glass is a poor glass when you want to conserve home energy usage. The monolithic glass has thin layer that acts as a barrier to prevent heat from entering or going out of the home. When you have a monolithic glass in a home with an air conditioner, part of the air that circulates the home to make it cool goes out through the glass and as such energy is wasted and lost. The insulated glass unit however saves energy and prevents the flow of internal cooling to escape outside while blocking the heat outside from coming into he home. The thermal performance is the key importance of an insulated glass unit
- Sound Insulation
The monolithic glass is known to cause a sound resonance when high frequency sounds comes in contact with. It allows passage of sound into the other side either from the home to the outside or from the outside into the home. The insulated glass unit however, prevents the passage of sound from any direction as it is filled with air which disallows any resonance from the sound in contact with it. Houses and building near the rail station and airports usually make use of Insulated glass units as a way to prevent the noisy sounds of the trains and airplanes.
- Condensation
The condensation of the window is very detrimental and causes damage to the frame. Water which condenses at the window sides flows to the frame and can enter the walls and other parts. An insulated glass prevents to large extent, the occurrence of condensation hence, reduction of damages done to window frames. Monolithic glass however, cannot prevent such condensation effects.
- Transparency
Due to the features of the monolithic glass does not support prevention of condensation on its surface, the unhindered and perfect clarity and transparency can not be achieved but with the insulated glass, perfect clarity and transparency is achievable even without increasing the energy consumption. Example of this is found when insulated glass units are used as soft drink chillers at airports and stores.
