Pilkington Optiwhite™ for maximum transparency of glass

If we carefully observe a normal float glass we can notice that, contrary to the cliché according to which the glass is transparent and colorless, in reality it assumes a greenish color, which is seen in particular when observing the edges.

The reason for this effect is due to the presence of iron oxides in the raw materials that make up the vitrifiable mixture.

Instead, there are applications where, it’s required to glass the characteristic of being colorless and have maximum transparency, useful for aesthetic and functional aspects.

From an aesthetic point of view there are situations where maximum transparency is very important. Let's think about some of interior environments of buildings, where the stairs, partition walls or balustrades, are designed precisely to avoid being a hindrance to the eye, or not to alter the color balances of the environment, so that they cannot be truly transparent.

The same problem can be found in the case of some furniture where tables, showcases, shelves, need to be fully transparent style.

Conversely, from a functional point of view, one of the typical characteristics of the role of windows in a building is to maximize the lighting, for both aspects of comfort and energy saving. Having a transparent glass really means to increase living comfort and reduce the cost of artificial lighting.

Here is the product suitable to solve these problems: its name is Pilkington Optiwhite™.

It is an extra clear glass, with a low content of iron oxides, practically colorless, where it is absent the green color typical of all the other glasses. It is therefore the ideal choice in all situations where glass edges are exposed and where it is preferable a neutral color.

Its extra-clear appearance is obtained using selected raw materials in the production process, nearly free from iron oxides and other metals.

In addition to the careful selection of raw materials, it is essential to strictly control a lot of parameters of the melting process, to make sure that the properties of glass obtained remain constant over the time.

The result is an extra clear product, with a 3 – 4 % greater transparency than an usual clear glass, this percentage increases to 7 -8 % when the thickness of the glass is bigger  than 8 mm.

It is available in thicknesses from 2 mm up to 19 mm.

Its extreme flexibility allows to associate also to products of other ranges to add other features to those its typical.

Due to its characteristics, it is a product appreciated by famous designers in Italy and abroad, for example it is the product used in the construction of the Church of the Jubilee of 2000, designed by Richard Meier, it is the product used in the Milan City area  in the Liebeskind residences, and the glass that envelops the new headquarters of the Cantina Antinori made ​​by Studio Archea of Professor Marco Casamonti.