Laminated Glass
This information reflects our best understanding of product composition in 2015.
Laminated glass is composed of two sheets of glass with a thin adhesive interlayer between. The benefits of laminated glass compared to a solid glass pane are penetration resistance (it is more difficult to break through), safety (broken shards of...
Laminated glass is composed of two sheets of glass with a thin adhesive interlayer between. The benefits of laminated glass compared to a solid glass pane are penetration resistance (it is more difficult to break through), safety (broken shards of glass are held together by the interlayer), sound reduction, and UV protection. Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) has been the dominant interlayer material since the late 1930’s and remains the most commonly used film in laminated glass. Laminated glass is produced by sandwiching the PVB layer between pieces of glass and applying heat and pressure. The PVB interlayer generally contains a plasticizer to decrease the PVB stiffness and a UV absorber to improve the UV protection of the film. Some specialty films with increased strength or improved acoustic performance have been developed, but a standard type film was investigated here. Various types of glass can be used for laminated glass. An ultraclear, low iron glass is included here - the reduced iron content gives the glass a clearer (less green) appearance than standard glass. The glass may contain 0-20% post-industrial recycled glass from in-plant recycling.