Glass is strong, despite being brittle. Imagine its potential if it wasn’t.
That’s not totally out of the question, according to a team of mainly European researchers.
Writing in the journal Science, they describe how thin films of amorphous aluminium oxide (a-Al2O3) glass can be permanently bent and pulled under high stress without breaking at room temperatures.
Led by Erkka Frankberg, from Tampere University in Finland, the researchers used direct microscopy and simulated observations to reveal that the high plasticity of a-Al2O3 requires the material to be dense and flawless, illuminating key criteria that could identify other oxide glasses with similar malleability.
The results suggest, they say, that oxide glasses are not inherently brittle; rather our ability to manufacture such a flawless glass in bulk and at larger scales is lacking.
It was a small study, and as Lothar Wondraczek, from the University of Jena, Germany, writes in a related Perspective in the same journal, “it will not be easy to put to use these findings in the design of commodity glass products just now”.
Nonetheless, it suggests that what Wondraczek calls something of a “holy grail” for engineers – improving the strength and ductility of oxide glasses – is not out of reach.
Originally published by Cosmos as Making glass flex, not fracture
Cosmos
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
