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European Group Calls Glass a Permanent Material

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European Group Calls Glass a Permanent Material

European Group Calls Glass a Permanent Material

The European Commission’s ITRE Committee has agreed with the results of a study conducted by the European Container Glass Federation, which determined that glass is a “permanent material.” The designation is important because it means that container glass is a primary raw material for new glass. The goal of the Commission is to identify materials that can be recycled effectively and repeatedly, in order to reduce the amount of new or raw materials that are extracted from the land.

Glass is particularly interesting as a recycled material because cullet (pulverized glass) reduces the amount of energy needed to reform the glass into new containers. This also meets another of the Commission’s goals – reducing the amount of energy used in material manufacturing in Europe.

The designation is currently dependent upon the development of effective glass recycling programs in all European Union countries. According to the study, about three-quarters of all container glass in Europe is recycled, but the actual percentage varies from country to country. The flip side of that is the 25% of container glass that makes its way into landfills in Europe. The Commission would like to find ways to more effectively recycle, and reduce the amount of container glass that gets thrown away.

The study is part of the recently adopted “Circular Economy Package” by European Union countries. The aim of the Circular Economy Package is to promote more recycling, to set recycling and landfill targets, and to incentivize the use of recycled materials among EU member nations.

While the study itself applies to container glass, the goal of recycling and reuse of glass increases the long-term likelihood that glass will play a more important role in material use in Europe. Glass is both a decorating and working surface, and will be used more extensively in EU countries as a way to meet “Circular Economy” targets.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is specially formulated to bond permanently to glass surfaces. The paint works on all types of glass, and will not chip, fade or peel once the paint has cured. Curing takes place within 72 hours of application, and can be used on both interior and exterior applications. In addition, Glassprimer™ glass paint offers exceptional UV resistance, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .
Photo Credit: Michael Rosenstein , via Flickr.com

New glass coating could improve water runoff

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New glass coating could improve water runoff

New glass coating could improve water runoff

A group of Chinese researchers has developed a new super-hydrophobic coating that can be applied to hard surfaces, including wood, glass, metal and fiber. The new coating is durable and can resist a variety of actions, including handling, scratching and brushing. Textiles coated with the material retained their original hydrophobic properties even after being abraded with sandpaper.

The coating enables “self-cleaning” on a wide variety of surfaces. In addition, the coating can survive intact even in high heat and high humidity for sustained periods of time. The nanoscale coating was tested on a number of common surfaces, including glass, copper and wood. The coating can also be applied easily in a large-scale production environment. The researchers have not indicated when or how this new coating may be commercialized, or whether additional development is required.

Coatings are taking on a new importance in materials engineering. Coatings can introduce new properties to materials cost-effectively. Glassprimer™ glass paint is a good example of this.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially engineered glass coating that’s designed to adhere permanently to the glass surface. As a paint, Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in virtually every color available through major paint manufacturers.

Glassprimer™ glass paint can be applied to glass and a range of other non-porous surfaces and provide complete coverage for about $1 per square foot. Once cured, Glassprimer™ glass paint makes a permanent bond with the glass that will not chip, fade or peel, even in harsh conditions.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is ideal for both interior and exterior work, and offers exceptional UV-resistance. That means it won’t fade, even in direct sunlight. It can also be used to control solar heat gain, and treat windows that don’t offer an aesthetically pleasing view, or where additional privacy is desired.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store
Photo Credit: alfarman , via Flickr.com

Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

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Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

Venezuela Nationalizes Guardian Glass Plant

Guardian Industries, one of the largest manufacturers of float glass in the world, announced that the Venezuelan government nationalized its float glass plant in the State of Monagas in July. Following the shutdown, the government invoked a law that allows it to seize abandoned manufacturing facilities. Guardian says that the facility was not abandoned, and that the company had shuttered the facility to replace aging production equipment. Typically, the equipment in glass plants runs around the clock for about 15 years before being shut down for maintenance or replacement.

The Guardian glass plant was not the government’s only seizure target. Kimberly-Clark also lost control of a diaper manufacturing plant in the country. That plant, near Caracas, manufactured nearly half of the diapers sold in Venezuela.

In early August, the Venezuelan government announced that it had “restarted” the Guardian plant, but it is not clear what, if anything, is being manufactured there. The government said it intends to manufacture about 350 tons of flat glass per day. Following the seizure, Guardian issued a warning about the condition of the plant, saying that the existing equipment in the plant was “end-of-life” and that continued use could be dangerous.

Manufacturing is exceptionally difficult in Venezuela at the moment due to the country’s runaway inflation. Kimberly-Clark said it ceased manufacturing at its Caracas-area plant because it could no longer purchase raw materials. Guardian said it shut down its Monagas glass plant as part of a planned upgrade to the equipment there.

Venezuela has a history of seizing the assets of foreign companies since the 1990’s. Extreme economic pressures are contributing to the increasing desperation inside the country. Venezuela is heavily dependent on the sale of oil to fund its national treasury. Since the price of oil has dropped to near-record lows, the country’s economy has spiraled into a deep depression. Widespread unemployment and high inflation have both stripped the shelves of retailers and made importing products next to impossible.

Guardian could petition the World Bank for a judgment in its favor, but even being compensated for the seizure could be meaningless. Owens-Illinois was awarded compensation from the World Bank in 2011 for the loss of two glass manufacturing plants in Venezuela, but has yet to receive any payments. Guardian could also write off the loss, which would take both the asset and the associated expenses (including debt) off of the company’s books.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: Julio Cesar Mesa, via Flickr.com

Solar energy hits the road

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Solar energy hits the road

Solar energy hits the road

Route 66 evokes images of open road, but this stretch of America’s past may be making some new history in Conway, MO. A local rest stop there is being retrofitted with about 50 glass solar panels, but these collectors won’t be mounted on a roof. Instead, they’ll be embedded in the sidewalks around the rest stop. The goal is to provide all of the rest stop’s energy.

The experiment is part of a plan by an Idaho company called Solar Roadways. If the sidewalk test passes muster, the panels will be shifted to the parking lot, then to the entrance and exit ramps leading to the highway. The Solar Roadways panels heat themselves, so there’s no need to provide winter maintenance. They also have lights that can be configured to display lane markers and inform drivers about road conditions ahead.

The road ahead for solar highways isn’t going to be easy. The panels will have to prove their mettle when it comes to traction, weight, weather and temperature – all of the elements that go into making potholes on current road surfaces. Even if the proof-of-concept project survives, it would also have to overcome the fact that solar panels in the roadways are expensive – much moreso than standard cement, asphalt and other traditional paving materials.

Other companies are also experimenting with solar surfaces for roadways, roofs and other structures in various locations around the world. The goal is to develop materials that are both durable and productive. The cost of the solar road panels could be offset by tolls, or by transferring excess energy generated by the panels to the grid.

According to the company website, the solar glass panels are tempered, and are strong enough to support the weight of a semi-truck. The glass also has a roughened surface that gives it as much traction as asphalt. Each full-sized glass panel can generate about 48 watts of power, using about 4.5 square feet of space. The panels are hexagonally shaped.

In addition to the installation in Conway, MO, the company is also working on a public installation in Sandpoint, ID, Solar Roadways’ hometown.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store

Photo Credit: Solar Roadways

Research opens up metallic glass

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A team of researchers from Duke University, Harvard University and Yale University are unlocking the secrets of metallic glass. Sometimes, molten metal cools too fast. When this happens, the atoms don’t have time to arrange themselves in the standard crystalline structure that defines most solid materials. Instead, the atoms in these metals cool and harden in random patterns, in exactly the same way that ordinary glass does. The resulting product is known as a metallic glass.

Scientists know how to create metallic glasses, but they don’t know – before they actually generate the glass – what properties the resulting glass will have. In some cases, metallic glasses may be conductive, super strong, super hard or they may have other properties that are equally desirable or specialized. The trial-and-error nature of the process makes discoveries among metallic glasses slow, and a bit of a mixed bag.

The researchers have discovered a way to predict the properties of a metallic glass product without having to manufacture or tweak anything. The process promises to save time and money, and could lead to the development of novel materials with highly desirable properties.

The researchers created a database and simulation software that examines all possible outcomes of a combination of elements, given the materials provided and their tendencies to form certain structures in nature. The simulation looks at a variety of atomic characteristics, and based on the information, is able to determine the likelihood that a particular selection of materials will bond. It can also determine the likelihood that other materials with similar atomic characteristics will bond.

The simulation allows the researchers to identify candidate materials that are more likely to bond together in a novel way. By eliminating material combinations that are likely to fail, scientists can spend more time in the lab working with materials that have a higher probability of success.

To determine the value of their simulator, the researchers tested their simulation on materials that are already known to produce metallic glass. The simulator correctly predicted successful combinations about three-quarters of the time.

At present, about two dozen known metallic glasses exist. If the simulator is correct, the researchers may be able to generate about 250 new combinations of metallic glasses with different, useful properties. So far, the simulator works with just two alloys, but the researchers have plans to reconfigure it to consider the possible outcomes of working with three different alloys. In the mean time, the researchers can also work on creating metallic glasses from the possibilities the similar has identified.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Iconic Glass Structures – Petronas Towers

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Iconic Glass Structures – Petronas Towers

Iconic Glass Structures – Petronas Towers

No series on iconic glass structures would be complete without discussing Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The twin towers were classified as the tallest building in the world between 1998 and 2004, and remain the world’s tallest twin towers, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats (CTBUH).

The Petronas Towers were designed by Argentine architect Cesar Pelli. The original design for the project was conceived in 1992, and underwent significant simulation testing to ensure that it could withstand wind and other forces that would act upon the structure once it was built.

Construction of the glass and steel towers began in 1993 and continued for seven years, although tenants occupied parts of the project before construction was entirely complete. The site for the building originally hosted a racetrack. Before construction began, tests showed that about half of the site was covered in decayed limestone. The entire building site was shifted about 200 feet to ensure that the project could be built on a suitably strong foundation.

In addition to being one of the world’s tallest structures, the Petronas Towers also hold the distinction of having the world’s deepest foundations. In some areas, the building’s foundations, which rest on more than 100 concrete pilings, extend nearly 375 feet into the Earth.

The 88-floor towers are clad in glass and steel. The towers were constructed simultaneously by two different construction crews in order to meet the Malaysian government’s requirement that construction be completed within 6 years.

The towers feature nearly 600,000 square feet of laminated glass, and a two-story bridge that connects the two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors. Despite the high profile of the Petronas Towers, a considerable amount of unused space is available for lease in the second tower. The first tower is completely filled. Retail space is available on the lower levels of the towers. The upper floors of the tower are reserved for office space.

The towers also feature two-level elevators. The lower floor of each elevator stops at the towers’ even numbered floors. The upper level of the elevator car stops at the odd numbered tower floors. The towers are made available to visitors. Visitors are required to purchase tickets.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: eltpics, via Flickr.com

Using passive and active glass to reduce heat

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Using passive and active glass to reduce heat

Using passive and active glass to reduce heat

If you ask a materials engineer, the Sun is a mixed bag. On one hand, it generates the light and heat we need to survive. On the other hand, we spend a lot of time and money trying to control the Sun’s output. That desire has given rise to both the passive and active glass developments that we see in buildings today.

Controlling solar radiation is one of the key challenges building designers face today. Glass is a huge part of building design. It is both necessary and desirable because glass is the best way to admit natural light into a constructed space. While visible light and the potential for natural ventilation are both desirable, invisible light frequencies are responsible for the generation of heat inside the building. Generally, it’s difficult (but not impossible) to separate the visible light frequencies from the invisible ones. The price of doing so often diminishes the amount of visible light that comes into a space.

Active glass technologies allow us to block invisible light by changing the behavior of the glass. Active glass technologies – such as electrochromic (or “smart”) windows – block invisible light frequencies at the cost of the visible ones. Electrochromic windows operate as an automatic shade that manipulates the opacity of the glass. You do get the benefit of blocking invisible light, but it comes at the cost of blocking the visible light frequencies at the same time.

Passive glass technologies use the sunlight to modify the glass. In this case, the opacity of the glass is not completely diminished. Instead, the glass tints in response to the presence of invisible light frequencies. Thermochromic and photochromic glasses sacrifice some visible light in order to reduce (but not eliminate) the transmission of invisible solar radiation.

Other approaches – such as solar shading – are also used to deflect incoming sunlight. Enough of the visible light frequencies are directed through building glass, but the shades reduce solar heat gain. This approach achieves a reduced solar heat gain at the expense of the view!

In cases where the view is already sacrificed – perhaps in a very dense urban area – another approach to reducing solar heat gain is available. Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specially formulated glass coating that creates a nanoscale bond to the surface of the glass. The paint actually modifies the surface of the glass to ensure that the paint bonds permanently. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers superior UV resistance, which means that it won’t chip, fade or peel, even when exposed to direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint can be tinted to match the color palette of any major paint manufacturer, so you’re assured tha Glassprimer™ glass paint will blend seamlessly into any decorating plan. Best of all, it’s cost-effective, providing coverage for about $1 per square foot.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jeremy Levine, via Flickr.com

Russian scientists develop new glass coating technique

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Russian scientists develop new glass coating technique

Russian scientists develop new glass coating technique

Russian researchers at the National Research Nuclear University Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) have developed a new technique for applying coatings to hard surfaces. The device, a plasma generator, creates a high-intensity magnetron discharge in melted materials. The device evaporates melted matter and enables the rapid application of high-quality thin-films. This approach to glass coating combines the advantages of two coating techniques – magnetron deposition and vacuum evaporation – that can individually create a high quality or rapidly produced coating, but not both.

Glass coating technique could be used for other materials

The new glass coating technique has potential for other materials, too. Currently, coated glass is used heavily in the construction industry to help control glare and heat gain in buildings that make extensive use of glass. The coatings must be high quality in order to work, which significantly slows the rate at which the glass can be produced.

The technique could also be used to apply both preservative and decorative coatings to building materials, tools and filters. The team is currently working on a production-scale prototype. The prototype will not be available commercially, but it takes the technique one step closer to commercialization.

Various forms of magnetron deposition and vacuum evaporation have been in development since the 1980’s. The ability to apply specialized coatings to glass has enabled the commercialization of energy-efficient and insulating glass in construction worldwide.

Glass coating plays an increasingly important role in energy efficiency and construction technology. Glass is a special material because unlike most construction materials, it isn’t porous. Its impervious surface means that ordinary coatings won’t stick to glass over a long period of time. Glassprimer™ glass paint was specially engineered to modify the surface of glass at the nanoscale level. This allows the paint to adhere permanently to glass without chipping, fading or peeling, even when exposed to humidity and direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a cost-effective glass coating that can help reduce or eliminate the penetration of invisible light frequencies that are responsible for solar heat gain. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be dyed to match virtually any paint palette from any major paint manufacturer. It can be incorporated into virtually any decorating scheme, and is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jared Tarbell, via Flickr.com

Smart glass goes to the head of the class

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Smart glass goes to the head of the class

Smart glass goes to the head of the class

Building owners and operators are always on the lookout for ways to make their buildings more environmentally friendly. Part of this environmentalism is reducing energy consumption through materials like smart glass. As more construction takes place globally, the demand for energy increases. This puts additional stress on electrical power plants, and drives the demand for new facilities.

Building operators are committed to reducing energy consumption. Industry estimates suggest that they’ll spend nearly $1 trillion on upgrades and improvements to existing infrastructure through 2023. That may explain why smart glass is becoming a popular choice. Smart glass is specially designed glass that has the ability to change its opacity based on the presence or absence of an electrical current.

New developments in smart glass are working toward eliminating the need for continuous current. Although the electrical current demands for smart windows is small, eliminating the current can improve their efficiency over a large number of windows.

Smart windows rely on conductive suspended particles that re-orient themselves when electrical current is applied. When the current is on, the window is transparent. When the current is off, the particles become disorganized and block light. Varying the current can cause some of the particles to orient, thereby “tinting” the glass.

Changing the opacity of the glass can also reduce the amount of solar heat gain an area experiences. Reducing the amount of solar heat gain reduces electrical consumption by reducing the need for air conditioning or other air handling.

Another environmentally friendly way to reduce solar heat gain is by coating the glass with a UV-resistant coating like Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is exceptionally UV resistant, which means it rejects the invisible light waves that generate and trap heat behind glass.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is permanent. While you lose the transparency of glass, you can still enjoy natural light. The coating works well to improve spaces where the view isn’t attractive. It also comes in virtually any color, so it will blend with any color palette.

If you’d like more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Jamie McCaffrey, via Flickr.com

Graphene and glass battery electrode may go orbital

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Graphene and glass battery electrode may go orbital

Graphene and glass battery electrode may go orbital

A new battery electrode composed of graphene and glass could be used in aerospace applications. The new material is paper-thin and has a virtually perfect cycling efficiency. The materials used in the electrode are common, and therefore cost effective. The material also functions in cold temperatures, which means that it’s ideal for high-altitude and aerospace applications.

Researchers from Kansas State University have been working on batteries made from silicon and graphene, but early attempts were met with poor results. To correct problems including mechanical instability and low efficiency, the researchers developed a glass-like ceramic silicon oxycarbide electrode that’s surrounded by chemically modified graphene. The resulting glass based electrode is a high-capacity device that doesn’t require substantial mechanical support.

That’s good news because support elements don’t typically contribute to the efficiency of the system, but they can cause mechanical failure, and they increase the weight and size of the finished battery package. The glass based electrode weighs about 10% less than conventional battery components, and it can store enough electrons for practical use. As an added benefit, the glass-based electrode performs well at low temperatures, a feat that most batteries can’t achieve.

The new material was made by heating a liquid resin. Once heated, the resin breaks down into glass-like particles. The heated mixture, which contains oxygen, silicon and carbon, also self-arranges into a new 3-dimensional structure. This creates large storage spaces and smooth transportation pathways for lithium ions. The researchers intend to keep working on the process to make larger electrodes and perhaps develop mass production techniques. They also believe it may be possible to create electrodes from this material using a 3-D printing approach.

Most people don’t use glass to make space-age batteries, but there are still plenty of novel ways to use glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint can help you transform ordinary glass into a surface that’s both practical and decorative. Glassprimer™ glass paint comes in a virtual rainbow of colors and can be applied easily to glass, Plexiglas and other non-porous surfaces. The nanoscale surface bond ensures that the paint will not delaminate, even in the toughest conditions.

For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Kansas State University