The researchers of the McGill University in Montreal, Canada, created a bad day for smartphone glass makers. Or at least for the repair market.
Their creation, in short, is a new type of glass that is five times stronger than conventional glass. It is made of an acrylic material whose characteristics the researchers have "changed". Their activity, in fact, has provided the material with a microstructure, resistance and durability that are nothing short of exceptional. The study was published in Science.
A shell in the true sense of the word
The inspiration for the creation of this indestructible shield came to researchers from biomimetics: they copied a pearl. To be precise, from the substance secreted by the oyster shells inside them. The oyster shell, in fact, secretes tiny Aragonite crystals
Researchers inspired the creation of glass from pearling, the substance secreted by pearl shells inside. The shell secretes tiny aragonite crystals (for the nerds: chemical formula CaCO3) just 15 microns long and even less thick. Much less: 0,5 microns. The crystals are arranged next to each other, forming thin layers.
War-proof cell phone glass
These layers of overlapping crystals are strongly linked together with corresponding sheets of an elastic polymer, also secreted by the shell. The resulting material is a sort of “additive” that covers the inside of the shell. An extremely strong and durable material.
The researchers copied this architecture in the glass they created. This significantly increased the impact resistance and also the crack formation. There's more. Furthermore, they changed the refraction level of the material so that the glass becomes completely transparent and can therefore be used as a screen for mobile phones.
Studies continue: now researchers are trying to incorporate new advanced technologies into glass that will allow it to change color, conductivity and mechanical properties on its own.
