Smart glass – “smart” glass and features of its application

Immediately, we note that the glass itself, which is used in this technology, does not differ in any special properties. This is the most common glass or, much more often, triplex, as it is more resistant to impacts and especially durable. It’s all about a special film created from polymer-dispersed liquid crystals, the abbreviated name is PDLC. It is this film that changes transparency..

There are two types of smart glasses:

• Automatically changing transparency. This happens, for example, when the brightness of lighting or temperature changes. Most often, such “smart” glasses are used in the decoration of facades and street windows.
• Electrically controlled smart glasses. They are connected to a special system, depend on electricity, you can turn it on and off yourself, as needed. It is these electrically controlled glasses that are used in interiors..

Important! It should be remembered that in the off state the “smart” glass will always be matte! That is, if you want the partition to be transparent most of the time, you will have to keep the system in the “on” state all the time, consuming electricity.

The system works like this – the film includes two layers, a conductive layer is applied, and between them – a polymer with liquid crystals. When an electric current begins to be applied, the layers of liquid crystals are oriented in one direction and the film becomes transparent, invisible.

On ordinary glass, the film is applied simply from above, and in triplex – between layers of glass, this is a more reliable option. In modern systems, you can adjust the level of transparency of the partition or glazing using a dimmer, and in the “smart home” system – through a smartphone or remote.

Smart glasses are widespread in office buildings. If you want to close the room to hold a meeting, for example, the system turns off. In normal times, the office looks like one room with light transparent glass partitions. The same principle can be used to equip a home workplace, which you want to make at the same time sufficiently sheltered from prying eyes, but with the ability to “open” the partitions, making them practically invisible.

In homes, smart glass is also often used to equip shower cabins and partitions in bathrooms. In this case, it is better if the glass is just triplex and the film is protected by its two layers. Otherwise, the PDLC layer can simply be damaged by taking care of the glass, which will leave drops after a shower..

In addition, “smart” glasses can be used to create partitions between separate areas of the house, to equip the ceiling on the terrace, which will either let in sunlight or create shade.

Colored smart glass is rare. Yes, there is such a possibility, but if the film is colored, the transparency effect will not work, and it will poorly transmit light even when it is on. In addition, such a bright spot may be superfluous in a modern interior..

You can also apply a drawing on smart glass. Designers advise not to use sandblasted drawings, as is usually the case, for example, when decorating glass interior doors. After all, most of the time, when the smart glass is turned off and remains matte, the drawing simply will not be visible.

It is better to choose the option when the decor is made from the film itself by cutting out various abstract patterns according to a given drawing. In this case, in the off state, the picture will be perfectly visible, and when turned on, the partition or window will become transparent.