Strengthening Interlayers

Our strengthening interlayers can be used within glass structures to improve the strength, safety and security of our glass installations.

Security Glass

Extra Strengthening Interlayers are used within architectural glazing to produce a stronger yet thinner glass installation, able to withstand massive structural loads and even create a blast resistance glass installation.

The specialised Ionoplast interlayers used by IQ Glass is 5 times stronger and 100 times stiffer than standard PVB interlayers used in most structural glass assemblies.

Slim and clear, these strengthening interlayers increase the strength of structural and framed glass installations allowing for thinner glass units to be used or for the creation of glass constructions able to withstand hurricane wind forces or destructive blasts.

Ionoplast Interlayers

These interlayers are also much clearer than a standard PVB interlayer and work well with Low Iron Glass to create clear transparent glass installations. They are useful in structural glazing to allow vertical glass panels to take the weight load of adjoining items.

Strengthening Interlayers are especially useful in structural glass balustrade constructions. As well as creating a glass balustrade with a reduced deflection the advanced polymer used in the manufacture of these strengthening interlayers has a lower moisture absorption rate therefore elongating the lifespan of any external frameless balustrades. IQ Glass recommends the use of strengthening interlayers within any external frameless balustrade.

In some situations, the strengthening interlayers can be used to create hurricane or blast-resistant glass installations. The strong and multiple interlayers within a hurricane or blast-resistant glass construction reduce any ‘spawl’ or flying glass which is the largest contributor to human injury from a destructive blast.

Get in touch with the team at IQ Glass here.

Specification

Performance

Ionoplast Interlayers have been extensively tested to show their strength in relation to traditional interlayers such as PVB and EVA interlayers. 

The relative strength of a glass unit laminated with an Ionoplast interlayer compared to a PVB laminated glass unit is between 10% and 40% more and that increases with the thickness of the glass unit. This statistic looks even more impressive compared to the fact that the strength of EVA interlayers is 10% lower than that of a comparable PVB interlayer.

Similarly, deflection comparison tests show that Ionoplast interlayers deflect up to 50% less than a PVB laminated glass units of the same thickness and deflect 60% less than an EVA laminated glass unit.

This strength and reduced deflection allow us to use Ionoplast interlayers to create structural glass installations with thinner glass compositions.

Weather Resistance

IQ recommend the use of Ionoplast Interlayers for any external balustrade due to the high levels of weather resistance displayed by this extra strong interlayer.

Under extensive weathering tests, simulating natural exposure in a Florida style climate for 7 yrs, and exposed edge of an Ionoplast Interlayer shows none of the widely accepted edge defects that would be found on a traditional PVB laminated glass.

There is also no change in the colour or haze of the interlayer due to sun exposure, creating glass structures that stand up against the elements.

Security Glass

A PVB laminate can withstand a simulated burglar attack for 20 seconds. Ionoplast interlayers have been shown to provide a significant improvement in the security of glass installations by resisting an attempt at a forced entry for over 2 minutes.

This glass laminate is recommended for security-conscious projects or to improve the security rating of window and door installations.

Blast resistance glass is a very complicated area of architectural glazing (see our learning article: Security Ratings Explained) but the inclusion of Ionoplast interlayers into a blast resistance glass installation can greatly reduce the thickness of the glass specification required. A 230mm thick SGP laminated glass unit was able to pass a blast test of  200 kpa (30psi) pressure explosion.

This category of glass laminate was originally designed to create hurricane resistance glazing for the architectural design market. We would recommend this interlayer for our architectural glazing installations requiring hurricane resistance and was the interlayer used within our minimal windows 4+ hurricane tested solution.