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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

Upgraded sorting machines might save glass recycling

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Upgraded sorting machines might save glass recycling

Upgraded sorting machines might save glass recycling

A growing concern among municipalities, materials recyclers and individual consumers is the possibility that glass recycling will come to a halt. Environmentally, there is no debate about the value of recycling glass. Glass is virtually infinitely recyclable, and consumes less energy during recycling than making new glass does.

Glass manufacturers would like to add more cullet (ground glass that’s ready for recycling) to their materials mixture, but the logistics of glass recycling make that difficult. Glass is heavy, and before it’s ground into cullet, it’s bulky. More importantly, glass needs to be sorted precisely. Different glass formulations can’t be mixed together. Significantly, heat-treated glass (tempered glass and Pyrex), colored and leaded glass need to be separated from the rest of the glass recycling stream, as these formulations cannot be used for containers.

X ray fluorescence and glass sorting

The emergence of X-ray fluorescence glass sorting machines may help take the sting out of glass recycling. Although the system was originally developed for glass recycling, manufacturers can also use the same technology to sort other types of recyclables. For example, Redwave’s latest sorter can identify and sort mixed heavy metals, including copper, zinc and stainless steel. It can also sort brominated plastics and a range of glass formulations.

Being able to sort recycling quickly is one key to reducing the cost associated with it. It’s also one way to ensure that glass recycling can be conducted as efficiently as possible. The challenges of recycling are real – especially for glass. A number of municipalities have already dropped or scaled back their glass recycling programs. In other cases, glass is still collected at the curb, but it is pulverized and used not as cullet, but as daily cover for landfills. One rationale for doing that is that the pulverized glass is heavy enough to hold down potential “fly-away” materials. Glass is also inert, so it poses no long-term danger from leeching or disintegration.

Municipalities are still working on ways to preserve their glass recycling programs, in part because consumers understand the recyclability of glass, perhaps better than any other material. Improved sorting technology may be able to enhance the efficiency of the glass sorting process.

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: Rockman of Zymurgy, via Flickr.com

Glass can help fillings repair tooth decay

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Glass can help fillings repair tooth decay

Glass can help fillings repair tooth decay

Researchers at Queen Mary University in London have released initial data on fillings that can help repair tooth decay. Robert Hill, a professor at the Institute of Dentistry, says that bioactive glass composites play a key role in what could prove to be a new approach to restorative dentistry.

According to Hill, the bioactive glass composites can release fluoride, calcium and phosphate, all key components in enamel repair. The availability of the necessary materials allows the tooth to “self-repair.” In addition to remineralizing the damaged tooth, the bioactive glass increases the alkalinity of the area around the repair, which discourages the bacteria that causes tooth decay. In tests, the glass fillings helped to remineralize cavity-damaged teeth, and slowed secondary decay. This is significant because the average number of cavities among residents of the UK is seven. Eliminating cavities and preserving the health of teeth is key to improving dental health worldwide.

In addition, the glass prolongs the lifespan of composite fillings, and reduces the need to use mercury amalgam fillings. Although dentists are quick to point out that mercury amalgams do not pose a health danger to dental patients, they are unsightly. Patients overwhelmingly prefer tooth-colored dental composites, but some composites may not last as long as mercury amalgams.Eliminating mercury amalgam fillings by 2020 is an internationally adopted professional goal of dentists.

Bioactive glass was developed to assist in bone repair. The glass is compatible with natural body tissues like bone, and work well in dental repair. Bioglass is used extensively in craniofacial repair, synthetic bone grafts and as a treatment for osteomyelitis. The glass discourages the growth of bacteria and allows bones to heal and regrow. In dental applications, the glass assists with decreasing sensitivity in areas where tooth enamel has been lost.

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: Matt & Nicole Cummings , via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – One World Trade Center

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Iconic Glass Structures – One World Trade Center

Iconic Glass Structures – One World Trade Center

The One World Trade Center is the primary building in the World Trade Center complex. The building is the focal piece of the WTC, which was rebuilt after the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001. The building is the sixth-tallest building in the world. It has an architectural height of 1,776 feet, and a decorative tip extends the building’s height another 16 feet.

The building has a functional height of 1,268 feet and has 94 floors usable floors, even though the top floor is designated as Floor 104. The combined occupied area of the building exceeds 3.5 million square feet. Construction on the tower was completed in 2013, and the building was opened to tenants in late 2014. Even though it has fewer occupied floors, the rebuilt tower is slightly taller than the original twin towers.

David Childs and Daniel Libeskind designed the building in 2002 as a replacement for the destroyed Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center. The building was rebuilt by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the construction was completed by Tishman Construction, which also completed the construction on the original World Trade Center towers.

Minoru Yamasaki designed the original World Trade Center, which featured two 110-story towers. The North Tower was completed in 1970. The South Tower was completed in 1972. By the mid-1980’s, the complex had grown to include seven buildings of varying heights, none of which were as tall as the twin towers. Originally, the World Trade Center was intended as a neighborhood revitalization project for Lower Manhattan. On a typical weekday, as many as 250,000 people could be in the towers at one time.

The rebuilt tower design was selected following a competition held in 2002. The winning design underwent a number of modifications before being finalized in 2005. The modifications increased the height of the tower, and made changes to the base of the design to improve its appearance and security. Despite the design delays, a symbolic cornerstone for the building was laid on July 4, 2004.

Construction on the base of the new tower was begun in 2006. The structural steel was completed in 2008. Glass window installation began in 2010. The building uses 2,112 insulated, laminated Viracon glass windows. Glass plays a major role in the shape of the building, and its design was changed a number of times before being finalized. In addition to its glass windows, the building incorporates 13-foot pairs of glass fins at the base. The original design called for prismatic glass to be used at the base of the tower, but this proved to be impractical, and this design element was dropped due to safety concerns. The base of the tower was deliberately designed with no windows, and is surrounded by concrete.

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: Jean-Christophe Bruneau, via Flickr.com

Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

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Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

Changes in Glass Industry Affecting Basic Science

If you’ve been paying attention to the recent changes in the glass industry, you know that the future of certain kinds of glass – specifically stained glass – is on the line. But a developing trend in glassmaking may also have negative consequences for basic science, and one community college is doing something about it.

Research scientists often need special glass tools to conduct experiments. Expert glassblowers, who create “made-to-order” pieces that get used in the lab, often build those tools exclusively for research. The number of glassblowers is declining, but the need for intricate glass tools isn’t. Salem Community College in Alloway, NJ offers the only scientific glassblowing program in the United States. The school graduates about 20 scientific glass blowers each year. Many of those graduates will take up positions at research universities around the country.

Never heard of scientific glassblowing? You’re not alone. The American Scientific Glassblowers’ Society estimates that there are fewer than 500 scientific glassblowers in the United States. Its membership has slipped from over 1,000 in the 1970’s to less than half of that today. Most scientific glassblowers stay with one employer for life.

The difficulty in finding scientific glassblowers owes somewhat to the fact that many research universities are not willing to put more than one glassblower on their payroll. On one hand, it reduces the overhead cost of having specialists on staff. On the other hand, it means that fewer scientific glassblowers get the experience they need to fill positions when they do open.

Glassblowing students don’t just learn how to make glass. They also need to study organic chemistry, math, computer design and other classes that don’t factor into a pure “art” program. In addition to their curriculum, they need to learn to work directly with the scientists who often provide a rough design for the tools they’re looking for. Scientific glassblowing helps to advance a variety of sciences, including telecommunications, laser research, semiconductor research and research into subatomic particles.

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: Jennifer Pack, via Flickr.com

Penn State Research May Unlock Glass Thin Films

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Penn State Research May Unlock Glass Thin Films

Penn State Research May Unlock Glass Thin Films

Thin films have become very important in the glass industry, largely because certain coatings can give glass properties it doesn’t ordinarily have. Thin films can be applied to glass in a number of ways, but deposition techniques predominate. A single piece of glass can have multiple coatings, all of which add something to the finished product.

The trouble with deposition as a way to add thin films to glass is that the molecules pack randomly on the glass surface. Penn State researchers are looking at ways to make thin films thinner and stronger. They theorize that by packing the thin film molecules “better” they can get better performance from the films and the glass they’re attached to. To test this out, three scientists at the university have received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Glass coatings research may lead to new materials

The research results may not just apply to current thin-film coatings. It may also help engineers and chemists design new coatings that can give glass novel properties. Conductivity and ultraviolet light blocking are high on the thin films wish list because coatings like that could be used to improve the efficiency of solar energy collectors and reduce solar heat gain in large buildings.

Scientists are looking for ways to combat a phenomenon they’ve observed in thin-film deposition. Using current deposition technology, a film that’s too thin changes the transparency of the glass. With the grant, the researchers hope to find a way to reduce the thickness of the coating while still maintaining the properties that make glass attractive.

The research team will be studying production factors like the ideal temperature and other conditions to determine their effect on the finished product. In addition, they’ll be testing new molecules to see if they can improve existing coatings or develop new coatings with unique properties. Ideally, the team hopes to develop a model that will enable scientists to predict coating characteristics accurately without having to manufacture it.

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: ZEISS Microscopy, via Flickr.com

Glass slide fabricated from single piece

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Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Engineers at London-based Eckersley O’Callaghan have developed a 30-ft glass slide fabricated from a single piece of laminated, annealed glass. The piece was demonstrated at Glass Tec in Dusseldorf last month. The slide is made from two pieces of glass bonded together with transparent structural silicone adhesive (TSSA). The vertical member, which serves as the ladder, has glass treads that are attached to it using TSSA.

The TSSA adhesive dries to a virtually clear state, can support the weight of an adult, and is able to resist the shear forces that form when the slide is in use. The Vidre Slide, which was designed and fabricated to maximize transparency, is intended for a project in Hong Kong.

Cricursa fabricated glass slide and ladder

Eckersley O’Callaghan worked with a Barcelona-based company – Cricursa, which developed the curved fabrication technique – to produce the slide. Cricursa specializes in creating curved glass for architectural applications and has worked on creating distinctive façades and other glass components for a number of signature projects. Cricursa works with all types of glass, including laminated, low-emissivity, low-reflective and insulated glass, as well as oversized glass and glass flooring.

According to Eckersley O’Callaghan, the slide exemplifies beneficial ways in which engineers and fabricators can work together on projects, and tests the limits of the practical applications for glass and structural adhesives. Although Cricursa specializes in specialty glass production, the Vidre Slide uses two tightly curved seamless glass chutes that rely heavily upon the adhesive for structural soundness. The slide also features a metal support structure that ties the ladder and chute together for added stability.

While the slide is nowhere near the tallest or longest slide in production, it is the longest glass slide formed from a single sheet of glass. Eckersley O’Callaghan did not indicate where or when the slide will be installed.

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: Eckersley O’Callaghan