Modern windshields are typically constructed from laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass that is composed of two curved sheets of glass with a layer of plastic laminated between them for increased protection and attached to the window frame. Laminated glass is made up of a thin layer of vinyl sandwiched between two layers of glass, creating a thicker, stronger window. This type of glass is considered to be one of the safest due to its difficulty to break or shatter. Most vehicle windshields are made from laminated glass, which is also effective in preventing theft due to the effort required to break them. The windshields themselves are made from a specialized form of glass designed specifically for windshields.
This glass is composed of silica, fine sand, sodium carbonate, dolomite and limestone, with certain formulations containing small amounts of potassium oxide and aluminum oxide. As expected, silica is the main component and makes up 60 to 70% of the entire formula.
