Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal of a low melting point, typically tin,[1] although lead was used for the process in the past.[2] This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and a very flat surface.[3] The float glass process is also known as the Pilkington process, named after the British glass manufacturer Pilkington,[4] which pioneered the technique in the 1950s at their production site in St Helens, Merseyside.[5]
Modern windows are usually made from float glass,[6] though Corning Incorporated uses the overflow downdraw method.[7]
Most float glass is soda–lime glass,[8] although relatively minor quantities of specialty borosilicate[9] and flat panel display glass are also produced using the float glass process.
- ^ Richet, Pascal (2021-02-05). Encyclopedia of Glass Science, Technology, History, and Culture. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-1-118-79939-0.
- ^ Binggeli, Corky (7 October 2013). Materials for interior environments. Wiley. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-118-30635-2. OCLC 819741821. 819741821.
- ^ Groover, Mikell P. (2021). Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing: Materials, Processes, and Systems. John Wiley & Sons. p. 207. ISBN 978-1-119-70642-7.
- ^ Baker, Ian (2018-06-21). Fifty Materials That Make the World. Springer. p. 66. ISBN 978-3-319-78766-4.
- ^ "The Story of Pilkington UK". www.pilkington.com. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Shackelford, James F. (2005). Introduction to Materials Science for Engineers. Pearson Education. Prentice Hall. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-13-142486-9.
- ^ "LCD Glass - Display Glass". Schott AG. Archived from the original on 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
- ^ Khatib, Jamal (2016-08-12). Sustainability of Construction Materials. Woodhead Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-08-100391-6.
- ^ Wurm, Jan (2007). Glass Structures: Design and Construction of Self-supporting Skins. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 37. ISBN 978-3-7643-7608-6.