Structure-property correlation of silicate glasses for automobile applications

The used and broken windshield panels of the Alto 800 (A8), Hyundai i20 (H2), and Maruti Suzuki Eeco (ME) have been taken to study their structural, optical, and mechanical characteristics. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy investigation revealed the increment of Q 3 and Q 4 units instead of Q 1 and Q 2 units when K2O and MgO content increases in the windshield glasses. The transparency is highest for A8 glass due to the higher content of Q 1 and Q 2 , making the glass network more open. This windshield glass panel is less rigid with lower hardness than other windshield glasses. The highest optical band gap is found at nearly 3.66 eV for the ME sample. However, the A8 windshield glass is thermally more stable and it can bear more temperature variation and harsh environmental conditions. The present study would help to design better windshield glasses.