Bullet-Proof Glass

Kiara McKenzie-Perry
Aislinn Schepers
Period 4
August 14, 2014
Bullet-proof Glass
The original bullet-proof was accidental, but has become something more. It is now used
to protect people who are in important positions, or paranoid of the fear of being shot. It is
usually a way of safety prevention and to keep your mind at ease. Many celebrites,
politicans, armored cars, prison transports, and other organizations use cars with bullet-
proof glass to prevent injury from others.
Edouard Benedictus, a French chemist accidentally invented it when he dropped a
beaker coated in a plastic cellulose nitrate, and it did not shatter. There are also reports of
previous attempts in 1625 from an unknown scientist, where they put multiple layers of
glass that could withstand a blow from a hammer.
Patents of Bullet-proof Glass
US 5368904 A: A bullet resisitant glass screen made out of multiple glass sheets that are
fused together. There are security films on the front and back to stabilize. The resistance of
the glass is dependent on how thick the air gaps in between glass layers is. There are
hundreds of patents existing for bullet-proof glass in designs.
Disciplines of Engineering
Bullet resistant glass is mostly made by the discipline of chemical engineering. The reason
being is because it uses chemicals such as, plastic cellulose nitrate that coats the glass for
the strong structure. They also use silicon-based polymers to prevent scratching. There are
also chemicals that determine the strength and classification as a bullet-proof glass.
Evolution of Bullet-proof Glass
It is made by multiple layers of polycarbonate glass then having polycarbonate laminate
by itself in between the layers. This is called the PROCESS OF LAMINATION. The glass used is
always much thicker than average glass in everyday use. When a bullet penetrates the
glass, it pierces the first layer, but the polycarbonate laminate absorbs the shock. The
original bulletproof glass in WW2 was multiple layers of glass glued together by epoxy. It
weighed over 50 pounds per square foot. Now BPG weighs only merely a few pounds and
are much safe with the prevention of shards of glass hitting the target.

History of Bullet-proof Glass
1603: Discovered by
an unknown scientist
that used water to
rapidly cool molten
glass
1903: Invented by
Edourard Benedictus
when he had
dropped a glass with
plastic cellulose nitrate
coating it.
1914: Used in World
War I to cover gas
masks.
1945: In WWII it was used as armor
for vehicles and soldiers.
Current day: Used for a
lot of government and
higher class cars for
protection. Also used in
stores and banks for
protection of theft.
Global Impact on Society & Environment
Society: This invention provides safety and protection from threats to a person or object. It
has made stealing objects or hurting a person protected by this so much harder. It has
made our world much safer.
There is not an environmental impact to be found.
References

Bullet Resistant Glass. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http%3A%2F%2Fscience.howstuffworks.com%2Fquestion476.htm%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tssbulletproof.com
%2Fbullet-proof-glass%2Fbullet-resistant-glass%2F
The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica. (n.d.). Edouard Benedictus (French artist and chemist). Retrieved
from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/60620/Edouard-Benedictus
The History of Bulletproof Glass. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://prezi.com/sb0esfpieajt/the-history-of-bulletproof-
glass/
Outrageous Acts of Science: Bulletproof Glass. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-
shows/outrageous-acts-of-science/videos/bulletproof-glass.htm
Start creating, sharing & exploring great visuals today! (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2014, from
http://visual.ly/bulletproof-glass-through-ages-history-bulletproof-glass
There is No Such a Thing as Bulletproof Glass. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/08/there-is-no-such-a-thing-as-bulletproof-glass/