Glass or Acrylic

[stoney1118]

EnderG60;597237 wrote: oh if you get one thats not ML, get it euro braced if ya can! **** cross braces are teh only thing keeping me from switching to dual 1000w halides

lol ive already considered! even if i go with ML and i prob will, ill have them eurobrace it when they build it or ill have it sent without the trim up top and ill have chris eurobrace it for me!

 

[stoney1118]

Amici;597313 wrote: You have any source for this?

Ive dealt with my fair share of starphire glass and have never noticed it being "brittle as he!!" and IMO thats kind of a broad statement.....Its going to depend on thickness, if its tempered, quality of glass (which brand of Low iron it is) and a slew of other factors. Any glass is brittle if you hit it on the right spot or hit it hard enough.

+1 I wasn't gonna say anything but.... Please explain to us!! And I don't usually "drop rocks against my glass" so hopefully I won't have any issues.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

 

[ichthyoid]

Here is a link to a blog for engineers that addresses the question of strength. They indicate no difference.

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=84380&page=3">http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=84380&page=3</a>

I also checked out the PPG website, the manufacturer. It gives all kinds of optical properties, but not strength. If you are in doubt, just call them. There is an 888 # at the bottom of the page.

[IMG]http://www.ppg.com/corporate/ideascapes/SiteCollectionDocuments/Starphire_Vision_Glazings.pdf">http://www.ppg.com/corporate/ideascapes/SiteCollectionDocuments/Starphire_Vision_Glazings.pdf</a>

I did find a reference that iron content increases infrared absorption for filtering out heat. This would make sense for architechtural glass developed before Low E (metallic) coatings.

There was also one mention in a separate link that metal oxides tend to slightly lower tensile strength

 

[enderg60]

ichthyoid;597396 wrote: Here is a link to a blog for engineers that addresses the question of strength. They indicate no difference.

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=84380&page=3">http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=84380&page=3</a>

I also checked out the PPG website, the manufacturer. It gives all kinds of optical properties, but not strength. If you are in doubt, just call them. There is an 888 # at the bottom of the page.

[IMG]http://www.ppg.com/corporate/ideascapes/SiteCollectionDocuments/Starphire_Vision_Glazings.pdf">http://www.ppg.com/corporate/ideascapes/SiteCollectionDocuments/Starphire_Vision_Glazings.pdf</a>

I did find a reference that iron content increases infrared absorption for filtering out heat. This would make sense for architechtural glass developed before Low E (metallic) coatings.

There was also one mention in a separate link that metal oxides tend to slightly lower tensile strength[/QUOTE]

thanks thought I was going to have to find that, when your "source" is reef central, you may as well just say "this guy told me"

yeah low iron glass is so slightly softer then regular for our purposes its not an issue.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

You know, I never said it was brittle or otherwise. I simply posted a link to a discussion. I guess since I'm not an engineer, I'll just keep my mouth shut then. Good luck.

 

[grouper therapy]

I think most people are just guessing about which is more likely to fail , unless someone has done research on the subject. Both types can fail or last many years. So far as clarity, I see the difference when they are side by side but if they are not near one another I can't tell, with either acrylic,glass, or low iron. If someone made pics of all three viewing into a tank without showing the edges of the material I would bet money that most people could not pick one from the other. Small scratches in acrylic can be removed without distortion but I have not seen anyone remove deep scratches without some distortion. Glass scratches I gave it up without distortion. I am sure someone could do it.