What is PVB in glass?

Polyvinyl butyral (or PVB) is a resin mostly used for applications that require strong binding, optical clarity, adhesion to many surfaces, toughness and flexibility. It is prepared from polyvinyl alcohol by reaction with butyraldehyde. The major application is laminated safety glass for automobile windshields. read more

Laminated glass is made by sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two pieces of glass. The glass and the PVB are sealed by a series of pressure rollers and then heated. This combination of pressure and heat chemically and mechanically bonds the PVB to the glass. read more

PVB and a second sheet of glass (called back glass) are then placed directly on the circuit. The lamination of this sandwich encapsulates the circuit, protecting it from the environment. Current is extracted from the module at a sealed terminal box that is attached to the circuit through a hole in the back glass. read more

PVB glass is made by using heat to fuse two layers of glass with a layer of PVB between them. Because PVB is a resin, it distributes force throughout the glass, making it difficult to crack or chip. It is also very adhesive, which means that both layers of glass resist impact as a single unit. read more