Why can the aquarium laminated glass from Guangzhou tempered laminated glass factory withstand enormous water pressure?
Release time：
Mar 27,2025
The ability of laminated glass used in aquariums to withstand immense water pressure hinges on its multi-layered composite structure and materials science design. Safety is ensured by distributing pressure and enhancing toughness. The specific principles and design details are as follows:
I. Structural Composition of Laminated Glass
Aquarium glass typically employs a layered structure of "glass + adhesive layer + glass," with the number of layers increasing according to water pressure requirements. Common combinations are as follows:
1. Outer Glass (Water Pressure Contact Surface)
- Tempered or semi-tempered glass: High hardness, withstands initial impact, and fragments into granular pieces upon breakage, minimizing harm.
- Thickness: Typically 12-25mm per layer (increases with water depth).
2. Intermediate Adhesive Layer (Core Buffer Material)
- PVB (Polyvinyl butyral) or SGP (SentryGlas Plus):
- PVB: Good elasticity, absorbs impact energy, and prevents glass fragments from scattering.
- SGP: Five times the strength of PVB, with greater tear resistance (used in deep-sea giant aquariums).
- Thickness: 1.52-3.04mm; can exceed 10mm with multiple layers.
3. Inner Glass (Viewing Surface)
- Ordinary float glass or low-iron ultra-clear glass (reduces green light refraction, improves transparency).
Examples:
- Dubai Aquarium (11m water depth): Uses 3 layers of 25mm glass + 2 layers of 2.28mm SGP adhesive layer, total thickness approximately 80mm.
- Small home aquarium (1m water depth): 2 layers of 10mm glass + 1 layer of 1.52mm PVB.
II. Pressure Resistance Principle
1. Pressure Dispersion
- Water pressure is transferred from the outer glass to the adhesive layer. The elastic deformation of the adhesive layer evenly distributes the pressure across the entire surface, preventing local stress concentration.
2. Toughness Buffer
- Even if the outer glass breaks due to extreme pressure, the adhesive layer still holds the fragments together, maintaining the structural integrity (similar to a car windshield).
3. Multi-layer叠加Effect
- With each additional layer of glass and adhesive, bending strength and impact resistance increase exponentially.
- Simplified formula: Bending strength ≈ Single layer strength × Layer number².
III. Comparison with Acrylic Glass
Large aquariums (such as those in Okinawa, Japan) may use acrylic (PMMA) because:
- Extremely tough, can be made into a single curved surface (no risk of seams).
- However, disadvantages are apparent: easily scratched, high thermal expansion and contraction rate (requires expansion joints), and costs 30%-50% more than laminated glass.
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