Broken iPhones, windows, and dinnerware may soon become extinct now that a new super-glass has been created. By combining five different elements, scientists have come up with a new type of glass which is said to be stronger than steel.
Formulated to bend rather than break, the new glass brings promise that one of the most versatile manmade products could become more durable and forgiving. Besides eliminating costly, inconvenient, and discouraging damages typically associated with glass, the new creation could render some
Elements such as palladium, silicon, germanium, silver, and silicon have been missed into the glass production process to transform glass from an elegant, fragile material to one that can withstand tremendous impact.
People who live in glass houses….
The old adage saying that those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones may soon go out the window as the new super-glass revolutionizes residential and office construction. With the new glass, children can play baseball as close to the house as they wish because baseballs will bounce right off the windows rather than go through them.
People will no longer jump to their deaths because they have no way to break through the ultra-strong glass panels in their office.
The end of non-warranty iPhone replacements?
Although the folks at TechEye smugly suggested that Apple may want to invest in this new type of glass to cut down on damages resulting from dropped iPhones, Apple may resist because this new palladium-based glass will put an end to its lucrative non-warranty replacement business. With this new glass, iPhone owners could probably use their iPhone as a tennis ball and the glass would still not break.
Making super-glass
Because many metals have a chemical structure that actually protects against cracks, the ability to blend metallic properties with glass has potentially obvious benefits. Of course, creating a glass-metal hybrid is easier said than done. Scientists from CalTech and Berkely Universities have done just that.
The glass, called DH3, was developed by scientists from two universities in California, represents a scientific breakthrough that could transform some of the most fundamental rules of modern life. By blending five elements into glass, the scientists have managed to modify the crystal structure of glass, making it resistant to fracture.
Good as gold
Though DH3 is glass with the strength of steel, its price per ounce approaches that of gold, presenting one of the strongest potential obstacles for commercial adoption of the new material.
Glass products impact our lives in virtually limitless ways. As scientists find new ways to create the new metal-glass more efficiently, expect the price to come down, resulting in a transformed world where dishes, windows, and iPhones never break.
