Take a look at this company. https://www.glass-ts.com/sectors/architecture-glazing/ Here is a copy/paste of what this company does.
A centre for glass research and development Glass Technology Services Ltd (GTS) is an independent glass laboratory and consultancy, accredited to ISO 9001 and ISO/IEC 17025 quality standards and unrivalled in the UK for its glass expertise. The specialist team provide a range of services to analyse defects, resolve issues, conduct research and verify international quality standards for glass, coatings and glass products. Expert analysis and assessment is conducted by a dedicated team of scientists, who have expertise in glass manufacture, processing, material sciences, chemistry, physics and engineering disciplines and together hold over 380 years collective glass experience. Services provided include: - Fracture analysis - determination of the cause of failure of glass articles; - Analysis of the chemical composition of glass; - Investigation of inclusions in glass – solid stones, bubbles and cord (in-homogeneity); - Microscopy and analysis of surface deposits, and other surface damage on glass; - Development of novel glass compositions; - Small scale manufacture of glass; - Mechanical properties measurements; - Fitness for purpose testing of glass articles; - Environmental monitoring; - Consultancy of recycling and other environmental issues; - Consultancy on all aspects of glass manufacture; - Research, development and innovation of glass and glass products.
Did you notice the sentence highlighted in red? Solid stones, bubbles, and cord are all surface inclusions. Which are also called "defects". Granted this company is on the other side of the pond. But they work with Penn State in PA. They are very deep into the science of the chemistry and physics of architectural/flat/float glass. The kind we clean. How many different types of scratches and especially sounds do you get when you drag a metal razor across a defective surface? Many right?! Well friends there is a REAL SIMPLE answer to the question why. Because there are many different types of defects. GTS only mentions stones, bubbles, and cord here. The full truth is that there are well over fifty different types. The Ghost Particle has a VERY LARGE MOTLEY family! Here is another question. Who in their right mind would think that they could pull out an electron microscope and start taking micrographs of unknown defects on vertical glass. Not me! This is the core reason why the Glass Committee in my honest opinion couldn't get too far. It was like someone held out a handfull of all sorts of coins and said take that coin.
Another thing. I found a company that specializes in some very powerful unique light microscopes. I called them and explained what I was looking for. I was even going to meet with their salesman where I lived to see a demonstration. I figured I would get a free picture of one of the Ghost Particles family that I could feature in this blog. I guessed I wouldn't even need an electron microscope because the Ghost Particles family are anywhere from 2 to 100 microns in size. According to GTS. That is an easy thing to do with a light microscope. But it was not possible. Not even remotely possible. For one reason I could not find a microscope I could mount to a vertical plate of glass. For another microscopes are built for very small samples of glass. Like two by two inches not feet. Most inclusions are found on tempered glass. So even if I had a sample from the trash at a glass company I couldn't cut it down to the size I needed. Tempered glass dices when cut. Also, what I really wanted was a microscope I could take into the field with me to look at windows already installed in a building. NOT an easy thing to do!
But I do have a handheld lighted microscope I can hold up to vertical glass and take pictures and even videos that I can send to my phone over the net with a free app that I have downloaded. Mine operates at around 40X and is great for average scratches, point impact fractures, and chips. Further there are handhelds you can get that work up to 100X magnification. So I will continue with my handhelds. But they will not show particle defects. At least I have not been able to do this yet. If I do capture one my IGSA and NEGSA members who read this blog will be the first to know. You will be more than welcome to print it off and draw a smiley face on it.
This is the most revealing post on the subject that I have written to date. There will be more coming. So stay with me. But know this. Giving everything that we know so far it is not going to change how we approach the problem at hand. The only thing it will do is force us to be more aware of what type of surface we are dealing with. Be observant! Also if we come up against special problems like silicone or silane based concrete sealant overspray on tempered glass with negative deflection imperfections and defective scratch sensitive surfaces;...we will have to find a safe but effective answer to removing the overspray. Otherwise walk away. But before you walk away send me an email so we can talk.
Henry Grover Jr.
Glass Smart Consulting
No comments:
Post a Comment