Spontaneous Glass Breakage

Spontaneous Glass Breakage, sometimes also referred to as Thermal Stress Glass Breakage, is the spontaneous and unexpected shattering of glass—without any apparent cause or external force.

If you hear a loud bang and notice the glass on your windows or doors has shattered—but there’s no sign of impact, you may have just encountered spontaneous glass breakage.

Unfortunately, spontaneous glass breakage is unpredictable and can happen to any manufactured toughened glass due to nickel sulphide inclusions from the manufacturing process.

How Does Nickel Sulphide Cause Spontaneous Glass Breakage?

Sodium sulphate is added during float glass manufacture to promote bubble removal from the molten glass during the melting process. When combined with nickel contamination, sodium sulphate forms nickel sulphide (NiS). Nickel contamination can be caused by:

• An impurity in the raw materials
• Contamination during the storage and handling of raw materials
• Contamination from the float line equipment, e.g. firebricks and burners

Currently, there is no technology available to eliminate nickel sulphide completely during manufacturing, however, Australian glass manufacturers reduce the inclusion as much as possible to limit the risk of spontaneous breakage.

Jason Windows only use glass manufacturers who comply with the Australian Standards to ensure the glass supplied is of the highest standard available.

As nickel sulphide inclusions are formed as part of the glass-making process, and they are an inherent part of the makeup of glass, they are not covered by any warranty.

There is no technology currently available to eliminate nickel sulphide completely during manufacturing, however, Jason Windows only use glass manufacturers who comply with the Australian Standards to ensure the glass supplied is of the highest standard available.

Contributing Factors to Spontaneous Glass Breakage

Thermal stress glass breakage occurs when there is uneven heating in the glass, causing stresses to build up and potentially leading to glass breakage. Solar energy is a major cause of temperature difference in glass, leading to thermal stress and potential breakage. Certain conditions can exacerbate thermal stress in glass, such as:

• Sunny weather on otherwise cold winter days
• Insufficient clearance between glass and blinds
• Objects placed on the inside of the window, too close to the glass
• Other factors such as the quality of the edge finish, glass framing, shading devices, and airflow can all contribute to thermal breakage in glass

Emergency Glass Replacement

Jason Windows do not provide an emergency glass replacement service. If you require emergency glass repair, please consider contacting:

• Perth Metro: Dependable Glass 24hr Service
• Bunbury and South West: Bunbury City Glass

Contact details are on our Contact Us page.

Note: Spontaneous glass breakage is not covered by warranty. View the Jason Windows warranty.