Before we discuss whether tempered glass can be cut, first understand the knowledge of tempered glass.
Tempered glass is a kind of safety glass, as a safety glass even if it is damaged and broken, it will not break into pieces. Tempered glass is durable and strong. It can resist greater impact and pressure, and will not be easily broken. In addition to being safer. Compared with ordinary glass, tempered glass is also stronger and has large internal stress. This means it can withstand scratches, blowing, bumps, and other extreme weather conditions.
Where is tempered glass used?
Tempered glass is very suitable for use in residential doors, Windows or partition areas because of its characteristics. Its resistance to scratches is enough to withstand daily use and wear, and when tempered glass is used for glass doors, Windows and display cases, the surface remains clean for a much longer time than ordinary glass.
Can you cut glass at home after tempering?
Cutting ordinary glass is a common and simple thing to do. We can cut ordinary glass into any desired shape and size through professional props glass knives. But can you cut tempered glass yourself at home? To know the answer to this question, first of all, let's understand the difference between tempered glass and ordinary glass.
The difference between tempered glass and ordinary glass
Tempered glass is called safety glass because it is stronger and more durable than ordinary glass. This kind of glass is made by tempering process. In the manufacturing process, glass is heated and then cooled. This creates internal stress in the glass, which makes it 4-5 times stronger than ordinary glass. At the same time, because of its internal stress, the glass can be fixed in the original. Therefore, even if the tempered glass is broken, it will only break down into small pieces, and the damage to people is greatly reduced.
So, can you cut tempered glass at home?
The answer is -- no! You cannot cut tempered glass yourself at home. You can cut it by reversing the tempering process. But it has been annealed, in which case it cannot be called tempered glass.
In fact, any shape of glass panel want to cut must be completed before being tempered. After the glass is cut to the desired shape, it is placed in a furnace for tempering. The panels are heated to 600 degrees and then quickly cooled with cold air. This rapid cooling causes the surface of the glass to contract, and it enters a state of compression. At the same time, the inside of the glass is stretched. In this state, the glass is stronger. Therefore, if you want to cut tempered glass after cooling, you must exceed its compression force. That's what makes it hard to cut.
Once the glass has been tempered, it cannot be cut again. Otherwise, forced cutting will only make it broken or weak, and cannot achieve the original functional effect. Various operating instructions tell us that tempered glass can be cut by tempering the glass first. This involves heating the glass in the kiln and then letting it slowly cool over eight to nine hours. After annealing, you may also want to cut it, but in fact, the tempering treatment before doing so is redundant, which will only let the tempered glass back to the state of "ordinary" glass. They also lose their ability to break into granular pieces. Tempered glass is no longer safety glass.
