Heat Soak Testing EN14179-1

Despite the best efforts of manufacturers float glass can contain imperfections that can cause heat treated or tempered glass to spontaneously fracture. This is because the rapid heating and cooling associated with the tempering process can cause inclusions such as Nickle Sulphide (NiS) to contract and become trapped in this shrunken state. Over time these inclusions expand creating additional stress in the glass which can, over time, cause toughened glass to spontaneously break sometimes months or even years after installation.

Mi Glass will always recommend that heat treated glass (in safety critical locations such as partitions and overhead balustrades) is heat soak tested to reduce the possibility of spontaneous breakage.

All our heat soak products are tested in accordance with EN 14179-1.

This involves placing toughened glass inside a testing chamber and raising the temperature to approximately 260°C. The glass in then held at this temperature for a period of time thus accelerating NiS expansion and causing any affected panels to break in the testing chamber.

Technical Specifications

• Maximum Sizes 3000 x 1600
• Thickness Range: 4 – 19mm