Architectural glass production

Glass covering with special coatings is realized through an ion-plasmous sputtering technology in a vacuum unit “Sprut” developed by Russian scientists from the Institute of High Current Electronics SBRAS (Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences).

Types of products:

• Tinted glass with a different level of optical transmission
• Low-emissivity glass (thermal-control glass with “soft” coating, analogue to low-e glass)
• Mirrors

Technical production capabilities

• Productivity — up to 140 m² per 24 hours
• Colour of tinting — from light grey to dark mirror grey
• Glass thickness — 4 — 10 mm
• Standard glass sizes — 2500mm x 1605mm
• Maximum glass sizes for sputtering — 3100mm x 1725mm
• Tinting of stuff dyed glass for a variety of the offered colour palette

General information

Architectural glass — the glass of building purposes that is used for outside glazing of architectural buildings and constructions: facades, stained-glass windows, translucent roofs, winter gardens, zenithal skylights etc.

An architectural glass notion combines different types of glass used as a constructional material for building of residential and non-residential units. There are two main functions of architectural glass: this glass is a part of building structure and it creates convenient conditions for its maintenance. Various types of architectural glass possess the following properties: thermal control, solar control, decorative qualities and a combination of the mentioned characteristics. Particular qualities are added to sheet glass by its surface sputtering with special metal oxide coatings, which provide glass with selective optical and thermo physical qualities — a selective thermal and solar energy transmission and reflection.

A method of magnetron sputtering is used for coating. Glass consecutively goes through a sputtering chamber, where magnetrons fed with a negative potential are located. Achieving an appropriate working gas pressure, plasma forms at the chambers. Positively charged gas ions of the burning plasma knock out metal atoms from the targets. These metal atoms being placed on a tinted glass surface create a thin layer coating. When adding reactive gases (oxygen, nitrogen), metal oxides and nitrides are generated. At a definite ratio they allow to form almost any optical coatings. A distinguishing feature of magnetron sputtering is a high adhesion of the evaporated coating and tinted glass.

Types of architectural glass

• Tinted
• Thermal-control
• Reflective
• Multifunctional

Tinted glass

Tinted glass — the glass with a different transmission and reflection level. Tinted glass is widely used in building for outside facing and inside interior decoration making constructions look modern and original.

Tinted glass protects from sunlight and limits indoor ultraviolet radiation transmission defending furniture and interior items against discoloration. Due to these qualities tinted glass is applied to the glazing of all means of transport, furniture, domestic equipment and is used in other spheres of human activity.

There are several technologies of tinted glass production:

• stuff dyeing method
• pyrolysis technology
• magnetron sputtering technology
• gluing of polymer films

Glass tinted by stuff dyeing

Glass is dyed at the moment of its melting by adding a colouring component to the molten glass mass.

The advantages of the method — resistance to mechanical impacts, usability at glass processing. The disadvantage — glass is a heat energy conductor and processes high heat absorption capacity.

Glass tinted by metal application using a pyrolysis technology

During a production process a thin metal layer is applied to one of the glass sides. The metal layer combining a hot glass surface creates a chemically and mechanically durable compound.

The advantages of the method — high endurance and durability, an attractive mirror surface, an ability for heat energy reflection.

Glass tinted by a magnetron sputtering technology

At a vacuum chamber a thin layer of metal oxides is applied on clear polished glass.

The advantages of the method:

• High light and heat reflection capacities
• An ability to produce the glass with the required light reflection and light transmission qualities that depend on thickness of the sputtered
• metal layer (from several angstroem units to several micrometers)
• An ability to layer patterned glass
• Relatively low cost in comparison with other technologies of tinted glass production

Glass tinted by gluing of polymer films

A colour polymer film is glued on clear polished glass.

The advantages of the method:

• A wide variety of films in colour, thickness and width
• Aesthetic outward appearance
• Expensive equipment is not required for film gluing on glass

The disadvantage — a film is subjected to mechanical impacts.

Thermal control glass

Thermal control glass (low emissivity glass) — the polished glass with a special low emissivity metal oxide coating that allows to keep more warm indoors in comparison with standard glass. A low emissivity coating easily transmits short-wave solar energy to a room, but at the same time reflects long-wave heat radiation from heating appliances. A coating with the thickness of several hundred angstroem units has properties of a solar filter and is transparent for human eyes — visually thermal control glass does not differ from simple clear glass.

Thermal control glass is usually used as inner glass in insulating glass units, as a surface of inter-glass space. An application of thermal control glass limits heat losses distinctly, which allows to save on indoor heating.

Depending on a sputtering method, K-glass («hard» coated) and E-glass («soft» coated) are distinguished.

A «hard» low emissivity coating is applied on a hot glass surface during a production process by a pyrolysis technology and creates a chemically and mechanically durable compound.

A «soft» low emissivity coating is applied on polished glass by a magnetron sputtering technology. Glass with a «soft» coating is called «E-glass».

The advantages of E-glass — high thermal control characteristics due to an even distribution of a low emissivity coating on glass surface, E-glass keeps warm indoors better than K-glass. The disadvantages: high production standards are required under an operation with E-glass, because a soft coating can be easily damaged. E-glass can be used only in insulating glass units (a low emissivity coating can be directed inside an insulating glass unit).

Reflective glass

Reflective glass — the glass with a light-reflecting coating that reflects a part of light, but at the same time it transmits a maximum of daylight. Reflective glass creates convenient conditions inside of the buildings under an increased solar radiation impact. At solar time there is a mirror effect at a building façade and a tinted effect inside of a construction. On the contrary at night a mirror effect is observed inside of a building.

Multifunctional glass

Multifunctional glass — the glass with a specially attached coating that provides a combination of the following properties: solar and thermal protection, light transmission protection, clearness and aesthetic outward appearance. Multifunctional glass features refined selectivity of a solar factor — a ratio of a high light transmission and a reduced solar energy transmission.

Multifunctional glass is subjected to bending and tempering and produced in a different colour spectrum. It is used in building of residential and commercial constructions: hospitals, schools, administrative buildings, glass roofs and etc.