Heat Soaked Glass Vs Heat Strengthened Glass: Which One to Choose?

27 Mar.,2025

Many people seem to be unsure about heat strengthened glass and heat soaked glass. As a result, we are frequently asked if heat strengthened is the same as toughened glass?

 

Many people seem to be unsure about heat strengthened glass and What Are Geosynthetics?. As a result, we are frequently asked if heat strengthened is the same as toughened glass? Can heat strengthened glass be toughened glass? Will the heat soak process prevent toughened glass from exploding? Is the cost for heat soaking the same as heat strengthening? To clarify, we have put together a quick guide to help differentiate these two glass processes.

 

Heat Soaked Glass

 

What is heat soaking? Heat soaking treatment is a quality control process carried out by placing toughened glass panels inside an oven chamber and subject the glass to a prolonged temperature up to 290 degrees Celsius in a controlled cycle to accelerate nickel sulphide expansion. As a result, glass containing nickel sulphide inclusions are more likely to break in the heat soak chamber, thus reducing the risk of potential breakages after installation.

 

Heat Soaked Glass

Heat Soaked Glass

 

Why do we heat soak? Heat soaking helps to identify any impurities in the glass during the process. Panels containing nickel sulfide are more likely to break during this process.

 

Will the heat soak process prevent toughened glass from exploding? The heat soaking process does not guarantee a toughened, heat soaked panel will not explode spontaneously at a later time. It is an additional service to help prevent a spontaneous breakage in future.

 

Things to Consider:

 

ㆍGlass is Grade A safety Glass

ㆍGlass cannot be cut down or drilled after it has been toughened

 

Common Applications

 

ㆍBalustrades

ㆍPool Fences

ㆍSpandrel

ㆍOverhead Canopies

ㆍCommercial Glazed Windows

Heat Soaked Glass

Heat Soaked Glass

Heat Strengthened Glass

 

What is heat strengthening? Heat strengthening is a process applied to ordinary annealed float. It is processed through the furnace (similar to toughened glass) but is not Grade A safety glass. Heat strengthened glass is approximately 2 times stronger than ordinary annealed whereas toughened glass is approximately 5 times stronger than ordinary annealed and also grade a safety glass. Heat strengthened glass, when broken will break into large pieces and will not shatter into smaller pieces like toughened glass.

 

Heat Strengthening Glass Process

When would we use this process? Often heat strengthened glass is used in laminated glass. Over head glass canopies will often combine a laminated make up using a toughened panel to the outside surface and a heat strengthened panel to the bottom surface.

If the heat strengthened panel was to break, because it breaks in large pieces (unlike toughened crumbling into small pieces) the panel will stay intact. Toughened glass, when broken does not have the structural integrity to hold the panel in a secure position for a duration of time causing it to sag and potentially fall from the frame.

 

Things to consider:

ㆍGlass alone is not safety glass.

ㆍGlass cannot be cut down or drilled after it has been heat strengthened.

ㆍCommonly used in custom laminated applications.

 

Common Applications:

ㆍCurtain Walls

ㆍSpandrel

ㆍWindows

ㆍOver Head Canopies

 

If you want to get more information about the the differences between heat soaked glass vs heat strengthened glass, welcome to contact us today or request a quote.