ME201

Materials and Metallurgical

Engineering

Bulletproof Glass
By:-
Pereira Amram Xavier
Prashant Kumar
Priyancy Gautam
Rahul Jadhav
Bulletproof (Resistance) Glass (BPG)

Bulletproof glass (ballistic glass,

Bulletproof glass was discovered
transparent armor, and bullet-
by mere accident in the middle of
resistant glass) is a strong and
17th century. When Edouard
optically transparent material
Benedictus dropped molten glass
that is particularly resistant to
into cold water. And it was
penetration by projectiles. Like
found almost indestructible
any other material, it is not
glass.
completely impenetrable.
Introduction

A cricketer catching Similarly, here BPG But normal glass shatters

the ball by lowering lowering the energy and and not able to protect
energy. stops to reach target. body
What are bulletproof glass made of ?

• Traditional bulletproof glass is made from alternating layers of glass

(typically 3-10mm or 1/8-3/8in) and plastic, where the plastic is simply a
thin film of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) (around 1-3mm or 30-90 mils thick).
• Newer, strong kinds of bulletproof glass use a sandwich of glass and plastic
made of acrylic glass, ionoplast polymers (such as Sentry Glass),
or ethylene vinyl acetate, or polycarbonate, with the thick glass and
plastic layers separated by thinner films of various plastics, such as PVB or
polyurethane.
How are bulletproof glass made?

• To make simple PVB-based bulletproof glass, the thin

PVB film is sandwiched between the thicker glass to
make a laminate, which is heated and compressed so
the plastic melts and begins to bond to the glass.
• Often this process happens in a vacuum to prevent air
becoming trapped between the layers, which makes the
laminate weaker and affects its optical properties
(distorting the light that passes through). The unit is
then fully "cooked" at a much higher temperature (up to
about 150'C or 300'F) and pressure (up to about 13-
14 times normal atmospheric pressure ) in an
autoclave (a kind of industrial pressure cooker)
Types of Bulletproof Glass

• Insulated Glass
• Bulletproof Acrylic
• Laminated Polycarbonate
• Glass Clad Polycarbonate
Bulletproof Laminate

Bullet proof laminate glass is the traditional “bullet proof glass”,

crafted from layers of glass and resin, similar to a stack of modern
car windshields. This old-fashioned glass is no longer useful in a
bullet resistant installation: It’s heavy, brittle, and cannot be
readily cut, slotted, drilled, or otherwise integrated into
a meaningful bullet resistant system. Experienced fabricators, like
TSS, have the equipment and experience to build quality systems
with laminated glass (although it typically takes an additional 6 to 8
weeks to build such systems).
Monolithic Acrylic

• By far, the most common “bullet proof glass”: a single piece of 1 1/4″ to 1 3/8″
solid plastic. Acrylic can be drilled, routed, cut, and slotted to seamlessly
integrate with the mounting hardware and surrounding architecture in a quality
bullet resistant system, or to build novel bullet resistant structures. Acrylic passes
light almost perfectly, and since its rough cut edges can be flame-polished clear, it
lends itself to the attractive, unobtrusive installations favored in most public
buildings.
• Bullet resistant systems relying on acrylic can be fabricated to UL-rated Level 1 or
2 bullet resistance. A Level 1 system can stop three jacketed 9mm bullets, while a
Level 2 system can stop three shots from a .357 Magnum. To beef up to Level 3
security–capable of withstanding at least three rounds from a .44 Magnum–Total
Security Solutions sandwiches 1″ of acrylic bullet proof glass between two sheets
of polycarbonate. This keeps the excellent material qualities of the acrylic while
adding a little of the bullet-grabbing capacity of the polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate

• Polycarbonate and acrylic are very different beasts. Acrylic is hard, and
polycarbonate comparatively soft. When used on it’s own in a bullet resistant
system, polycarbonate is laminated in layers. Consequently, it has a noticeable
tint, passing a bit less than 80 percent of available light, which can make for a
gloomy interior.
• But polycarbonate can offer Level 1 protection in just 3/4″, Level 2 at 1″, and
Level 3 at 1 1/4″. Polycarbonate is great for exterior windows because of its
resistance to forced entry: a sheet of polycarbonate will take an hour of
beating with a sledgehammer, where a comparable piece of acrylic might
succumb in just minutes.
• Polycarbonate is more challenging to fabricate into a smooth bullet resistant
system, but the difference is clear when it stops a bullet: While hard acrylic
fractures, sending the bullet ricocheting, Jim points out that “polycarb looks
beautiful when it stops a bullet: since it’s soft, it sucks the bullet in like a
catcher’s mitt.”
Glass-clad polycarbonate

• This is a high-tech spin on that old-school laminated bullet proof glass. For example,
Level 3 glass-clad polycarbonate (capable of stopping three shots from a .44 Magnum) is a
3/8″ layer of glass, a thin coat of polyurethane, and another 3/8″ sheet of glass. These are
then sandwiched between two more coats of polyurethane, and then 1/8″ outer caps of
polycarbonate. The total thickness is just over an inch. Like traditional laminated glass,
glass-clad polycarbonate is challenging to fabricate into acrylic-style seamless systems.
And, like polycarbonate, it suffers from poor light-transmission. But glass-clad
polycarbonate can be layered thicker and thicker to the highest-rated levels of bullet
resistance, easily stopping a burst from an M16 or AK-47. This makes it a great choice for
exterior applications: glass-clad polycarbonate holds up in high-traffic areas, weathers
excellently, and carries ratings for forced entry, explosive blasts, and hurricane winds.
• Applications : Government buildings, Banks, Jewelry stores, Liquor stores, Jewelry stores.
• Bullet-resistant glass is not only used in windows and windshields. A California company
makes a polycarbonate cover for iPads that resists scratches, dents and breakage.
However, it is not guaranteed to be able to stop a bullet.
Advancements
in Bulletproof
Glass