FORMATION OF SILVER COLLOIDS ON THE TIN SIDE OF THE FLOAT GLASS

During the float glass process in a float bath, tin diffuses into the surface of the glass. The final product of the float process has two sides – one tin side and the other air side of the glass. In the next step, a layer of material is applied to the air side of the glass, which most often has an anti-reflective function, consisting of several layers, where the primary function is performed by a layer of silver. Such glass is used in the construction or automotive industry, for example. A problem arises, however, if the float glass is processed by another process where the glass is heated. When the glass is reheated, defects may appear on the tin side of the float blank due to the diffusion of ions present on the tin side of the float glass to its surface. The article deals with the diffusion of silver on the tin side of float glass in the laboratory and the subsequent analysis of the defect. The goal is to discuss the mechanism of this phenomenon and the possible methods to prevent the defect from occurring.