Silicone-coated Glass Fabric

The surface becomes dirt-repellent and weather-resistant due to various lacquers and top coats applied on the silicone-adhering surface. This gives the material a very long service life of at least 20–30 years. The translucent or colored silicone layer has a very high light transmission of 20–30%, making it significantly more translucent than PVC fabric. The silicone coating can be pigmented, allowing for a wide color palette. The silicone-glass fabric is classified as B1 (hard to ignite) according to DIN 4102-1 for fire-resistant building materials, with silicone itself being non-combustible and its fire properties only changing when combined with other components. In the event of fire, the material emits no smoke and does not produce dripping flaming particles, corresponding to Euroclass B-s0,d0.

Application of Silicone-Glass Fabric in Textile Architecture

Silicone-coated architectural fabric can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is especially suitable for permanent constructions, as the coating is less prone to creasing than PTFE glass fabric. The membrane junctions are connected with a special adhesive or by sewing. Unlike PVC-coated fabrics, silicone cannot be welded. 3dtex GmbH has implemented several projects with silicone-glass fabric. For the membrane sculpture “Gadget,” the material was used due to its high light transmittance. The light spheres were installed in 2012 at Berlin’s BER Airport. In 2017, we carried out the mounting for the viewing platform “Wolkenhain” with the translucent silicone cladding.