Chemically Strengthened Glass

Chemical strengthening is a new technique that supplements thermal strengthening because it can be used for very thin glass and complex shapes. Because the process is done when the glass is hard, the possibility of distortion is removed. This paper describes the process, the properties (mechanical strength, impact resistance, fracture pattern), the forms available, and the applications. The resulting glass offers considerable weight reduction. It has been used initially in the back windows of convertibles