From Interiors to Exteriors and Beyond
Vitro Architectural Glass's family of low‑iron glasses provide design professionals with a range of options for exterior façades, vision glazing, interiors, decorative glass and more. Low-iron glass eliminates the green cast that is common with clear glass and can be used as a substitute for clear glass and other specialized applications.
What is Low-Iron Glass?
Low-iron glass is a premium glass type made from silica with a significantly reduced iron oxide content—about 0.01%, roughly one-tenth that of standard float glass. This low iron level eliminates the greenish tint that is common in conventional glass, delivering exceptional clarity.
Even at thicknesses up to ¾ inch, low-iron glass remains clear with a distinctive azure-blue edge. Beyond its elegant appearance, thicker low-iron glass doubles as safety glass for entrances, storefronts and skylights, offering superior strength. It’s widely chosen for architectural, display and specialty projects that demand high light transmission and accurate color rendering.
Benefits of Low-Iron Glass
Low-iron glass delivers several aesthetic and performance advantages, including:
- Superior Clarity and Transparency: Eliminates the green tint found in standard glass, enabling true color rendering with minimal distortion.
- High Light Transmission: Allows approximately 91% light transmission, compared-0 to about 83% for standard glass. Enhancing brightness and ambiance with more natural light, low-iron glass is one of the most effective daylighting solutions for illuminating interior spaces.
- Works with Treatments: Can be laminated, coated or combined with low-e layers without sacrificing clarity.
- Aesthetic Appeal: Offers a sleek, sophisticated look with superior transparency, making it ideal for design-focused projects.
What is the Difference Between Low-Iron Glass and Regular Clear Glass?
With its low-iron content, low-iron glass offers greater clarity and enhanced color representation as compared to regular clear glass.
- Reduced Iron Content: Low-iron glass contains approximately a tenth of iron content compared to regular glass.
- Clarity and Transparency: Low iron glass exhibits superior clarity and transparency, with less color distortion.
- Light Transmittance: While the inherent green tint of conventional clear glass amplifies as thickness increases, with low-iron glass, that amplification is less pronounced.
Glass Thickness (inches) Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) Clear Glass 1/8 90% Clear Glass 3/4 83% Starphire Ultra-Clear® Glass 1/8 91% Starphire Ultra-Clear® Glass 3/4 90% - Color: Lacking the greenish tint of regular glass, low-iron glass is virtually colorless.
- Applications: Low-iron glass is preferred for applications requiring high clarity and accurate color representation such as shower doors, display cases and architectural glass.
How is Low-Iron Glass Made?
Low-iron glass is made with raw materials containing significantly reduced iron content, primarily high-purity silica sand, which is then processed using the standard float glass method. This deliberate reduction of iron (ferric oxide) minimizes the blue-green tint found in standard glass, resulting in a clearer, more transparent "ultra-clear" or "water white" glass.
Low-Iron Glass Applications
What types of applications are best suited for low-iron glass? Popular applications include facades, retail, interiors and specialty use.
Architectural & Structural Uses
- Curtain walls, facades, partitions: Delivers neutral, crisp aesthetics with enhanced natural lighting.
- Glass floors, beams, balustrades: Minimizes green edge tint even in thick or laminated formats for nearly invisible support structures.
Retail & Display
- Storefronts, display cases: Provides color fidelity, true transparency and better visibility—ideal for showcasing merchandise, jewelry or art.
Interior Design Elements
- Shower enclosures, shelves, furniture, splash backs: Adds a luxurious, minimalist flair while ensuring true color representation in interior fixtures.
Specialty & High‑Performance Applications
- Solar panels: Enhances light penetration for higher energy conversion efficiency.
- Photo framing, museum exhibits: Minimal color distortion makes it ideal for preserving visual integrity in framing and display scenarios.
Everyday & Niche Uses
- Aquariums: The “almost invisible” clarity supports a cleaner, more immersive viewing experience.
- Lighting fixtures, optical applications: High transparency supports architectural lighting and precision optical uses.
Starphire Ultra-Clear® Glass
Get stunning clarity and color fidelity. Accept no substitutes—Starphire® glass is the ultimate in low-iron glass technology.
Acuity® Low-Iron Glass
With the Solarban® Acuity® Series, you can upgrade from coated clear glass for just a fraction of the total installed façade cost.
Minimizing the Green
Design professionals know that clear glass isn’t completely clear—it has a distinct green hue when viewed under light. Fortunately, more transparent solutions are available at various price points.
