In the mid-17th century, the concept of tempered glass was first explored by a curious King of Rhine named Robert. He conducted an unusual experiment by dropping molten glass into cold water, which resulted in a highly durable type of glass. This unique material, shaped like a droplet with a long, curved tail, was called "Prince Robert's Little." However, when the tail broke, the entire piece would shatter dramatically, turning into fine powder. This process closely resembled metal quenching, but instead of altering the glass’s chemical composition, it only affected its physical properties. As a result, this method became known as "physical tempering," and the final product was named "tempered glass."
The first patent for glass tempering was granted to a French inventor in 1874. The technique involved heating the glass close to its softening point and then rapidly cooling it in a low-temperature liquid bath, increasing surface stress. This early method was known as liquid tempering. In 1875, Frederick Siemens from Germany obtained a similar patent, while George E. Rogens from Massachusetts applied the method to glass wine glasses and lamp shades in 1876. That same year, Hugh O’Heill of New Jersey also secured a patent for his own version of the process.
By the 1930s, several companies began mass-producing large-area tempered glass for automotive windshields. France’s St. Ge’s company, the U.S.’s Trimblex, and the UK’s Pilkington all started manufacturing this type of glass. Japan also joined the trend, initiating industrial production of tempered glass during the same decade. This marked the beginning of large-scale tempered glass manufacturing globally.
In the 1970s, British company Triplex made a significant breakthrough by successfully tempering very thin glass (0.75–1.5 mm) using a liquid medium. This ended the previous limitation that physical tempering could not be used on thin glass, revolutionizing the industry.
China first introduced tempered glass technology in 1955, with Shanghai Yaohua Glass Factory starting trial production. By 1958, the Qinhuangdao Tempered Glass Factory successfully produced its first batch. In 1965, the factory began manufacturing tempered glass for military use. During the 1970s, Luoyang Glass Factory imported Belgian tempering equipment, and Shenyang Glass Factory started producing chemically tempered glass.
Tempered glass technology spread rapidly around the world in the 1970s, finding applications in various industries such as automobiles, construction, aviation, and electronics. Its strength and safety features made it particularly popular in building and car manufacturing, where it remains widely used today.
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