KCC Glass Develops Lightweight Multi-Layered Glass System with Half the Weight

KCC Glass (344820.KQ) announced Thursday that it has developed a "lightweight multi-layered glass system" that significantly reduces the weight of multi-pane insulated glass units.

The system features 2.1mm ultra-thin glass applied to the middle panes of multi-layered insulated glass units.

KCC Glass completed patent registration for the technology in December last year and obtained test certificates including KS standards to verify its performance.

In the window and curtain wall glass market, demand for triple or quadruple multi-layered insulated glass with high insulation properties has been increasing as energy-saving requirements grow. However, conventional multi-layered insulated glass, composed of 5-6mm thick glass panes, has been difficult to install due to its thickness and weight. Using thinner glass posed durability challenges as conventional heat-strengthening methods made it difficult to properly temper the glass.

To address these issues, KCC Glass applied chemically strengthened 2.1mm glass with Low-E coating for insulation to the middle panes. When applied to quadruple insulated glass units, this reduces weight by nearly half compared to conventional products while maintaining the same durability and insulation performance. This improves installation convenience as well as window operability.

The system's durability and insulation performance have been officially verified. It passed severe testing for glass breakage caused by solar heat and obtained a wind load certificate of up to 11.5 kilopascals (kPa) in wind pressure resistance tests conducted by the Korea Conformity Laboratories. Thermal insulation tests on windows using the system secured thermal transmittance certificates, demonstrating excellent insulation performance.

The chemical strengthening method also improves work efficiency.

Heat-strengthened glass cannot be cut after tempering, but chemically strengthened glass can be cut even after strengthening, significantly improving work efficiency.

"We expect this to set the standard for lightweight architectural glass by reducing weight by nearly half while maintaining durability and insulation performance," a KCC Glass official said.