Call us at 888.619.2226

Tag Archive for: glass paint

Glass can tell a forensic examiner a lot

/in , /by

Glass can tell a forensic examiner a lot

Glass can tell a forensic examiner a lot

Modern forensics can tell investigators a lot about a crime scene. DNA testing, blood spatter analysis, footwear impressions and ballistics can all help an investigator determine what happened and who might be responsible for a crime. Add glass examination to the list of tools available to a forensic examiner.

Forensic glass examination? As it turns out, broken glass can reveal a lot. While glass might not identify whodunit (unless the guilty party left fingerprints behind), the way a glass breaks can reveal a lot about how the break occurred, and what might have (or must have) happened at the time the glass broke.

For example, the way broken glass lands can reveal the direction from which the breaking force came. Stress fractures that eventually break a piece of glass can help investigators determine the height at which a bullet or other projectile was fired, the force needed to break the glass, and the direction from which the projectile came. This information can support other findings at a crime scene.

Further, glass can be examined and compared microscopically. That’s helpful because small fragments of glass can be transferred from a scene to a victim, or to the perpetrator. Being able to prove that a small sliver of glass connects a person to a crime scene can be exceptionally valuable. Typically, glass is produced regionally, so glass from different regions has different characteristics. Forensic examination can reveal the region from which the glass originated. That can also be helpful in placing a perpetrator or victim in the presence of glass that may have a unique composition.

Like other forensic techniques, forensic glass examination has become more sophisticated, and is increasingly being used to confirm other findings at crime scenes.

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. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. 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: Jasper Nance, via Flickr.com

New film can make any glass “smart”

/in , /by

New film can make any glass "smart"

New film can make any glass “smart”

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new electrochromic film that can turn any ordinary glass window into a “smart” one. The film can be applied to any kind of glass at low temperatures, and requires only a few volts to lighten or darken the material. The material is able to control both light and heat, and could improve the energy efficiency of ordinary windows.

The Texas researchers collaborated with scientists in France and Spain to create the material. The material, which contains niobium oxide, is about twice as efficient as conventional smart windows. The film is classified as an amorphous structure, which means that its atoms do not ordinarily arrange in a typical crystalline structure.

Conventional materials adopt a uniform, crystalline structure that is replicated throughout the material. Amorphous materials, on the other hand, contain local arrangements of atoms that differ based on the material. Amorphous materials created at high temperatures tend to arrange themselves in dense, three-dimensional bonds. The researchers were able to determine that the new material, which is formed at lower temperatures, does not have the dense 3-D structure, but rather has a linear structure that allows ions to flow more freely through the material. The discovery provided enough information to predict the behavior of the new material and allow the other team members to create it.

The arrangement of atoms in amorphous structures determines what the materials can do. The researchers can use the technique to predict the behavior of other amorphous materials and optimize their performance. The researchers are now focusing on creating a low-temperature flexible material using the new compounds that performs as well as or better than conventional electrochromic materials. Being able to mass-produce the material at low temperatures will simplify the manufacturing process and make it both readily available and affordable.

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 Taylor, via Flickr.com

Light emitting glass from Down Under

/in , /by
Light emitting glass from Down Under

Light emitting glass from Down Under

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed light-emitting glass. The panes of glass can be used to make highly transparent displays. Because the glass does not lose any of its natural characteristics, it can still be formed into virtually any shape.

To create the glass, the researchers used a technique called direct doping. The technique involves combining both the glass and the previously prepared light-emitting nanoparticles under precise manufacturing conditions and closely controlled temperatures. Managing the temperature allows both materials to retain most of their unique characteristics. The technique is also simpler than other specialized glass fabricating techniques.

Light-emitting glass could be useful in a number of different applications. According to the researchers, the glass could be useful in medical imaging, sensing, and volumetric displays. One potential application (that has yet to be developed), would allow physicians to use light-emitting glass sensors to enter areas of the body that have traditionally been difficult to access, or that are currently only examined with fluorescent dyes.

The scientists created light-emitting glass because they combined glass with photonic particles. The technique could be used to combine glass with other types of particles to make a whole host of glass-hybrid materials. For example, the same technique could be used with electronic, magnetic or other kinds of photonic particles to create conductive or magnetic glass, or glasses with other light-related properties.

The simplicity of the manufacturing technique will allow the researchers (and research teams at other universities) to create and test a range of new materials relatively quickly. Because the specialized nanoparticles are prepared prior to production, the researchers can easily predict the behavior of the resulting hybrid glass.

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: Jeff Wilcox, via Flickr.com

Iconic Glass Structures – PPG Place

/in , /by

Iconic Glass Structures – PPG Place

Iconic Glass Structures – PPG Place

PPG Place in Pittsburgh, PA is a complex of six buildings that serve as the headquarters for PPG Industries. The buildings are covered more than 1,000,000 square feet of PPG’s Solarban 550 Twindow glass– nearly 20,000 individual panes of glass and more than 230 glass spires. The glass panels give the complex a dark, mirrored appearance.

The complex is anchored by 1 PPG Place, a 40-story glass tower. The complex also contains a 14-story building and four 6-story buildings. The entire neogothic complex was designed by Phillip Johnson. Johnson’s design was inspired by the nearby Cathedral of Learning and Victoria Tower in London. Construction began on the complex in 1981, and the buildings were dedicated in 1984. PPG Place was one of the last buildings designed by Johnson, who is also credited with other iconic structures including the Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim, the Lipstick Building and the Sony Tower (formerly the AT&T Building), both in New York City.

The energy efficient design separates the building’s interior and its exterior. The exterior glass helps reflect infrared light, which reduces the overall energy consumption of the buildings. The complex also features an outdoor skating rink which is open to the public in the winter. In summer months, the ice rink area features seating and a fountain.

In 2011, the complex was sold to Highwoods Properties. Other retail and commercial tenants also occupy space in the complex, which is about 90% occupied. Highwoods has made a series of controversial changes to the street-level façade of the tower as concessions to its tenants. At the same time, the company has also made improvements and renovations that have been well-received.

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: zharth , via Flickr.com

Glass U-values – what are they?

/in , /by
Glass U-values – what are they?

Glass U-values – what are they?

The insulating ability of a material is known as its “R-value.” An R-value describes how quickly a material will lose heat. U-value looks at heat loss differently. Instead of measuring how quickly something will lose heat, the U-value measures how well a material resists losing heat. The R-value and the U-value of a material measure opposite qualities.

The quality of insulation is measured using an R-value. The higher the value, the slower a material will lose heat. The insulating quality of glass is measured with a U-value. In Europe, U-values are also applied to walls. Knowing how well something insulates, or how quickly it will lose heat helps people to understand the energy costs associated with a material.

U-values describe heat transfer – whether heat is moving into or out of a building. The lower the U-value, the better the material will resist heat transfer. For controlling energy consumption, it’s important to control heat transfer. With regard to windows, all components of the window have a U-value. That means window glass has a U-value, but so does the window frame. The glazing on the glass has its own U-value. Materials with very different U-values that are used to make a unit like a window can reduce the unit’s overall ability to stop the transfer of heat. The more similar the U-value of a unit’s components, the more similar the U-value of the finished product will be. Glass has a low R-value, so by definition, it has a high U-value.

The “leakiest” part of a window is actually the window frame. Small windows end up with a high U-value (which is bad), because the frame – which is the weakest link – comprises a larger proportion of the window unit than the frame of a large window. That’s important to keep in mind. Glass isn’t a great insulator, but the window frame and the glazing actually have a bigger impact on the window’s energy efficiency.

Glass coatings can change the performance of glass. Glassprimer™ glass paint is one good example. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly UV-resistant, which means that it can block the transmission of UV light waves, which tend to cause colors to fade, and can help reduce solar heat gain by reducing the overall transmission of the full spectrum of light.

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: Greener Leith , via Flickr.com

Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

/in , /by
Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

Glass coated hypodermic needle could ease pain

No one likes getting shots, but a newly developed glass-coated hypodermic needle could reduce the amount of pain associated with getting shots or taking blood samples. Researchers at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST), working with researchers from the University of Tokushima and the University of New Mexico have developed a hypodermic needle coated with metallic glass.

The researchers say that the metallic glass coating reduces pain when the needle is inserted and also improves the performance of the needle. According to researchers, metallic glass has certain properties that reduce the friction associated with the surface of the needle. Friction between the surface of the needle and the skin or other living tissue causes resistance, which in turn causes pain. Longer and larger needles cause more pain because the larger surface generates more friction upon insertion.

Friction doesn’t just cause pain upon when the needle is being inserted. Friction is also generated when the needle is withdrawn because typical metals have a natural surface grain. Movement in any direction causes tissue to “catch” on the surface grain.

Researchers say that applying a metallic glass coating to the needle reduces friction by 2/3rds when the needle is being inserted, and reduces friction by nearly 3/4ths when the needle is being withdrawn. In some experiments, friction was reduced by 80%.

Large-bore needles are typically lubricated because lubrication is known to reduce friction, and insertion pain. Smaller gauge needles are typically not lubricated; these needles are often used in dental procedures, suturing and other medical procedures. Metallic glass coatings could also be used to reduce friction in other non-medical applications, and are of interest to manufacturing and materials sciences engineers.

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: Alden Chadwick , via Flickr.com

What price glass?

/in , /by

What price glass?

What price glass?

The current construction boom has had an impact on the price of glass, but industry experts are still divided as to what that will mean for new buildings on the drawing board. According to some analysts, the price of architectural glass has increased by 25% to 50% in the last decade.

The majority of new “signature” commercial construction projects make heavy use of architectural glass, but the demand for glass has outstripped supply, leading to steady price increases. About one-third of the float-glass plants in the United States closed during the economic downturn that began in the mid-2000’s. The loss of production capacity is contributing to delays and cost increases for architectural glass.

The result has been a consistent, annual increase in the price of glass by about 6%-8%. Suppliers are also looking for alternative sources for exterior glass, including imports from other parts of the world. Glass has traditionally been produced locally because it is heavy and expensive to transport. Shipping glass in from distant producers both increases the cost and causes delays.

Some glass manufacturers are looking to acquire additional glassmaking plants, both shuttered and in active production to address the issue of product availability. In the meantime, construction managers are advised to plan ahead for their glass needs and to place orders for glass well in advance of their installation schedules.

Glass is particularly attractive as a construction material because it can be fabricated off-site and shipped to the building under construction. In addition, it’s inexpensive, compared to other traditional façade materials like brick or granite. Glass buildings also permit more interior floor space than buildings that are designed to use traditional building materials.

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: ML Duong , via Flickr.com

Glass dome to highlight museum

/in , /by
Glass dome to highlight museum

Glass dome to highlight museum

Bentonville, AK is known as the home of Walmart, but the city will soon be sporting a new attraction. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will welcome a new structure – a geodesic dome with 61 glass “eyes.” The “Fly’s Eye Dome” will sit on the museum’s north lawn, near a house built by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller, who was inspired by a drawing of a fly’s eye. The dome is one of three designed by Fuller, and was previously displayed in Los Angeles as part of the city’s Bicentennial celebration in 1981. It was most recently displayed in Toulouse, France in 2013. The museum acquired the dome as a permanent exhibition.

The structure is made from glass and fiberglass. The materials appealed to Fuller because they were both lightweight and strong. The dome was the largest of three prototypes built by Fuller. Two smaller domes, measuring 12 feet and 24 feet were also constructed. Fuller initially designed the dome as a cost-effective, lightweight and strong housing solution. According to Fuller, a geodesic dome would cost less to build and transport, and could be erected quickly.

The museum also acquired Fuller’s notes on the project, and has shared those documents with the University of Arkansas. Although the prototype domes were built, they weren’t fully functional homes, since they lacked a viable design for ventilation. Fuller also hadn’t developed a plan for the dome’s interior layout, so the prototype spaces are wide open.

Like the Frank Lloyd Wright home, the Museum says that it acquired the Fly’s Eye Dome as an example of “uniquely American architecture.”

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: Phillip Pessar , via Flickr.com

Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

/in , /by

Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

Gorilla glass goes for a car ride

Corning, which manufactures Gorilla Glass, the super-tough glass for mobile electronic devices, has developed a specialized version of the glass that could end up in your next new car. The company says its Gorilla Glass for Automotive division is working with a number of auto manufacturers to deliver a superior glass product that’s specially designed for automobiles.

Glass is naturally heavy, but Corning says that the automotive version of its signature tough product is lightweight and will support manufacturers’ desire to incorporate displays into the driver’s visual space. The company says it will offer Gorilla Glass for both structural and interior automotive applications.

Automakers are under significant pressure to improve gas mileage, and one way to do that is by reducing the weight of the vehicle. According to Corning, automotive Gorilla Glass is one-third lighter than conventional auto glass. Depending upon the vehicle size and its design, windows can add 100-150 pounds to the finished weight of a vehicle. By reducing the weight of the vehicle, automakers can not only improve gas mileage, but also reduce the vehicle’s emissions.

Reducing the weight of the glass also has other design and performance benefits. Reduced weight can improve acceleration and vehicle handing. Corning also says that windshields made of Gorilla Glass can eliminate 50% of the vehicle glass breakage that occurs today. That could reduce the total cost of ownership of a vehicle, and could also reduce comprehensive insurance costs for drivers.

Corning also says that automotive Gorilla Glass is clearer than conventional auto glass. The clarity of the glass also enables automakers to incorporate larger, brighter head-up displays. In addition, Gorilla Glass can be more easily formed into curves and 3-D shapes, allowing the designers enormous flexibility in displays, controls and the outward appearance of the vehicle. The company also says that its glass will provide better, more responsive touch controls.

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: Corning

New Arena Features Unusual Glass Doors

/in , /by
New Arena Features Unusual Glass Doors

New Arena Features Unusual Glass Doors

If you’re an NBA fan, you’ll want to take special notice of some unusual glass doors that help create the façade of the new Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center. The new arena opened at the beginning of the 2016-17 NBA season.

When you think of “glass doors,” you think of doors that are vertically hinged and open inward or outward, depending upon which side of the door you’re on. You might also envision a “garage-door” style door – one that is segmented, and travels on a track. It’s stored overhead when the door is open and is positioned vertically when the door is closed.

And then there are the doors at the Golden 1 Center. They’re neither of those kind of glass doors, although they’re closer to the garage door than the standard commercial hinged door. They lean at a vertical angle of 11 degrees, in part to minimize reflections from the California sun.

The doors, designed by Schweiss Doors of Hector, MN, are bifold doors, but they’re hinged horizontally instead of vertically. The doors are opened by means of a strap-and-motor system that lift each of the 14-ton doors and fold them neatly overhead, with the folded doors forming a canopy of sorts over five doorways, which are each about 30′ wide.

The five doorways are clustered together in one corner of the building and provide ample access to the arena. The arena also features conventional doors at the base. Fans can enter and exit the building at about three times the rate of a conventional gate-keeping design. When the doors are closed, they work as “window walls” allowing light into the interior. The primary purpose of the Schweiss doors is to add natural cooling to the building. They’re oriented to take advantage of natural wind movement.

There has been talk of holding games with the doors open, and the team believes it can control the temperature and humidity in the building enough to make that a reality. The team says it will hold practices and exhibition games with the doors open in order to collect data and monitor environmental conditions inside the building. In addition, the building can host concerts and other live performance events with the doors open to both increase the size of the audience and to allow guests to take advantage of the plaza that surrounds the arena.

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: CommScope, via Flickr.com