Assessment of Adhesion and Durability of Laminated Safety Glass made from End-of-Life Float Glass

As part of urban mining initiatives aimed at reducing waste, CO₂ emissions and the extraction of raw materials, the demand for sustainable resource recovery and repurposing of construction materials is growing. With many European buildings due to be renovated to meet current energy standards, recovering insulating glass units (IGUs) presents a valuable opportunity to reclaim significant amounts of glass panes while reducing environmental impact of glass facades. However, the outer surfaces of IGUs are especially exposed to environmental influences, such as weathering and mechanical impacts, which may introduce surface defects or changes to the glass surface composition, such as corrosion. These phenomena may affect the processability and remanufacturing processes. This study evaluates the feasibility of producing laminated safety glass (LSG) from reclaimed insulating glass units (IGUs). First the surface roughness is analyzed to evaluate environmental exposure of the glass surfaces. Next, laminated glass, with a new PVB interlayer, is manufactured using two configurations of the glass surfaces, primarily with the reclaimed glass, to determine the effect of natural aging, positioning, and combinations on its adhesion performance tested under temperature and humidity conditions in accordance with EN 12543-4, as well as under mechanical loads in the form of the pummel tests. Comparative tests are also conducted with LSG made entirely from new glass. The results demonstrate the possibility of producing standard-compliant LSG from reclaimed float glass.