English Section
Publicat de Ovidiu Stefanescu
01 Sep 2016 09:58
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A key feature for insulating glass packages (further identified by IGU acronym) is the sustainability, given the requirements related to gas and vapor impermeability. Unfortunately, now it is known pretty little about how and to what extent the climatic loads (mainly differences in temperature and pressure) exerts an influence on a system built with customary sealing products. For this reason, several laboratories began a series of experiments focused on the behavior of glazing with two or three sheets of glass when subjected to an accelerated aging process, respecting the conditions in EN 1279. Later, by means of special devices, have been determined charge levels of the molecular sieve, and the rate of gas loss. Also to accurately measure the maximum dilatation in edge area, were used special tools. From a structural viewpoint, a IGU panel consists of two or more sheets of float glass and a spacer made of steel or plastic (warm-edge), whose role is to maintain a constant distance between. They are interlocked through two cordons of sealing and the formed gap is filled in with argon or, more rarely, krypton, xenon, etc. The primary sealing is carried out with polyisobutylene (PIB) - a thermoplastic material applied in a layer with a thickness of 0.5 mm. As regards the second seal, it can use several types of elastomers, such as, for example, polysulphide, polyurethanes or silicones. As the particles of gas or vapor are able to penetrate the polymers of different types at the molecular level, depending on the level of the partial pressures in the system is introduced a desiccant (usually the zeolite), which is placed in the structure of the rod, before assembling the assembly. Therefore, the durability of such a product is given by the amount of water vapor entering the cavity UI or the gas stream leaving the enclosure. In this circumstances, the period of service of this product is limited to a maximum loading of molecular sieve followed by condensation on the inner surfaces generating an unacceptable increase of the heat transfer coefficient.
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