SILVER BASED COATED GLASS AND ITS EFFECT ON SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT

• Published in: Ceramics (Praha) 2023-01, Vol.67 (4), p.486-495
• Main Author: Mareska, Ales
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: automotive; glass; pvb; technology
• ISSN: 0862-5468; 1804-5847
• DOI: 10.13168/cs.2023.0056

The safety of drivers while driving is a key parameter in the car market. If we talk about the windshield`s influence and its composition on driver safety, the use of laminated glass with PVB (=polyvinyl butyral) is clearly key. Laminated glass created this way is called safety glass and fulfils the main function that, in the event of an accident, the glass will crack due to the stress created in the glass during its production, resulting in controlled shapes of glass fragments that are usually not sharp and will not cause serious injury to the driver or passengers. However, we can also discuss other features of the windshield, which will allow the driver to increase his or her driving comfort and thereby increase the driver`s concentration while driving. Such an example of a windshield is glass that has layers of coatings made of silver and various other oxides, such as zinc oxide, and reflects radiation in the infrared region of the spectrum. This allows the driver to optimise the conditions in the car, while not letting as much radiation out of the car in the winter or inside in the summer. Sunlight and heat adversely affect the condition of the car cabin and cause discomfort to both the driver and passengers. It also reduces the car`s air conditioning output. In addition, the sun`s UV and IR radiation negatively affect human health. Solar layers can reflect up to 99 % of infrared radiation. It all depends on their composition and the number of silver layers that primarily perform this function. Reflex UV and IR rays coming from the sun make the car cabin cooler and pleasant in summer. On the contrary, in winter it does not transmit IR radiation from the car, which again means an advantage for all the passengers in the car. At the same time, glasses composed in this way are environmentally friendly, as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is reduced when they are used. The driver does not need to air-condition as much in the summer and, conversely, use the heating as much in the winter. The article discusses both the positive aspects of coated glasses for safety while driving, as well as the effects on the environment.