AGC Innovation of the Month for June is Leoflex™, a chemically-strengthened specialty glass with the promise of a big future. Because it is five times stronger than conventional thermally-tempered soda lime glass, it creates the opportunity to produce thinner glass – and therefore glass which is much lighter in weight.
Leoflex™ is also optically clear and highly resistant to impact and scratching. With a combination of attributes as rich as this, the newly-developed AGC product should enable designers to reduce the weight of glass in a wide range of applications.
The product is already bringing down the weight of solar panels, building materials and lighting. AGC is now evaluating Leoflex™ for interior and exterior use in automobiles. Its light weight could certainly help car manufacturers meet their ambitious fuel and emissions targets. Importantly for use on vehicles, the ultra-slim glass is also extremely weather resistant and bendable after chemical strengthening.
We will keep you up to date with developments…