At a time when the concept of energy saving is deeply rooted in people's hearts, lighting tempered glass must not only meet the needs of light transmission, but also achieve good heat insulation effect. Balancing the two is not easy. Light transmittance is related to the quality and energy consumption of indoor lighting, while heat insulation affects the frequency of air conditioning use and energy consumption. The balance between the two needs to be started from materials, processes, structures and other aspects.
To achieve a balance between light transmittance and heat insulation, we must first find a breakthrough in the selection of glass raw materials. Different types of glass raw materials have different chemical compositions and physical properties, which directly affect the light transmittance and heat insulation performance. For example, choosing ultra-white glass with a low iron content as the substrate can reduce the absorption and scattering of light by the glass and improve the light transmittance; at the same time, adding special oxides to the glass raw materials appropriately can enhance the absorption capacity of infrared rays and improve the heat insulation effect without significantly reducing the light transmittance. By accurately mixing the raw material components, the foundation for balancing the two is laid.
The coating process is an important means to reconcile the contradiction between light transmittance and heat insulation. Coating a special functional film layer on the surface of tempered glass can change the optical properties of the glass in a targeted manner. Low-E film can reflect far infrared radiation emitted by indoor objects, reduce heat loss through glass conduction, and have little effect on the transmission of visible light; while spectrally selective coating can selectively transmit visible light and block most infrared and ultraviolet rays, which can not only ensure sufficient indoor lighting, but also effectively block solar radiation heat. By reasonably selecting film materials and coating layers, and adjusting coating parameters according to different usage scenarios, the best balance between light transmission and heat insulation can be found.
Innovative design of glass structure also helps to achieve performance balance. The use of hollow or sandwich structure can form an air layer between the glass or fill it with special materials. The air layer of hollow glass can play a good role in heat insulation and slow down heat transfer; if inert gas is filled in the air layer, the heat insulation effect will be further improved. Laminated glass can sandwich a film with heat insulation function between two layers of glass, such as PVB film, which can not only enhance the safety of the glass, but also absorb some heat. At the same time, the thickness and structural dimensions of the glass are reasonably controlled. Under the premise of ensuring strength, the light transmission path is optimized, heat conduction is reduced, and the coordinated optimization of light transmission and heat insulation is achieved.
Process control during the production process is also critical. During the tempering process, parameters such as the speed and temperature of heating and cooling will affect the internal structure and optical properties of the glass. Accurately control the tempering process to avoid stress concentration inside the glass due to uneven temperature, which can not only ensure the strength of the glass, but also reduce the negative impact on light transmittance. During the coating process, strictly control the vacuum degree, sputtering power and other parameters of the coating equipment to ensure that the film layer is uniform and dense, and prevent the film layer defects from affecting the heat insulation and light transmission effects. Only by making each production process precise can a lighting tempered glass with balanced performance be produced.
Designing products according to actual usage scenarios is also an effective strategy to balance the two. For spaces with large lighting requirements and relatively low insulation requirements, the light transmittance of the glass can be appropriately increased, and products with good light transmittance and moderate insulation performance can be selected; while for areas with strong direct sunlight and high insulation requirements, thermal insulation is given priority, and by increasing the number of glass layers and optimizing the coating, the heat can be blocked to the maximum extent while ensuring the necessary light transmittance. Combined with factors such as the building orientation and indoor layout, tempered glass with different performances can be flexibly selected and matched to maximize the energy-saving effect.
In addition to the performance optimization of the product itself, the later installation and maintenance will also affect the actual effect of light transmittance and heat insulation. During installation, ensure that the glass and the window frame are well sealed to avoid air leakage that causes heat loss and affects the insulation performance; at the same time, keep the glass surface clean and regularly clean dust and stains to prevent them from affecting the light transmittance. During use, check whether the glass is damaged or the film peels off in time. Once found, repair or replace it in time to ensure that the glass always maintains a good performance state.
Under the demand for energy saving, the balance between the light transmittance and heat insulation of lighting tempered glass is a multi-dimensional issue. From raw material selection, process innovation, structural design, to production control, scene adaptation and post-maintenance, each link is interrelated and mutually influential. Only by comprehensively applying various technical means and fully considering the actual use needs can we create ideal glass products that are both bright and energy-saving, and contribute to green buildings and energy-saving life.
