A window dealer told me that Kripton gas works best with triple pain glass. It has something to do with the manner in which the gas compresses in smaller (tighter) areas. He said Argon is actually better in double pain than Kripton. Can someone provide me with a little layman's information on this subject?
Thanks
JYXX
Kripton and Argon
Argon and Krypton are inert gasses that are heavier than air. As such, they have slightly better insulating values than plain air. Their density also provides slightly better sound dampening properties when compared with air.
As I understand it, in order for gas to have effective insulating properties, there must be little to no air movement (convection) inside the IGU. The gas in an IGU will circulate as some areas heat up and other areas cool. If the circulation becomes too great, you no longer have a dead-air space and the insulating properties of the entire IGU would be deminished. This is why you don't see double pane IGU's that are 2" thick. They would not be efficient, because the air between the panes would contantly be churning. The wider the IGU, the greater the potential that convection will take place.
For this reason, Krypton (heavier than Argon) performs better in thin spaces where one piece of glass is very close to the next (such as in triple pane IGU's) while Argon performs better in slightly wider spaces (such as double pane IGU's). I'm no scientist, so don't ask me why. But I bet if Oberon was here he could give you a very interesting explanation.
As I understand it, in order for gas to have effective insulating properties, there must be little to no air movement (convection) inside the IGU. The gas in an IGU will circulate as some areas heat up and other areas cool. If the circulation becomes too great, you no longer have a dead-air space and the insulating properties of the entire IGU would be deminished. This is why you don't see double pane IGU's that are 2" thick. They would not be efficient, because the air between the panes would contantly be churning. The wider the IGU, the greater the potential that convection will take place.
For this reason, Krypton (heavier than Argon) performs better in thin spaces where one piece of glass is very close to the next (such as in triple pane IGU's) while Argon performs better in slightly wider spaces (such as double pane IGU's). I'm no scientist, so don't ask me why. But I bet if Oberon was here he could give you a very interesting explanation.
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