Engineers from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) succeeded in developing LionGlass, a new type of glass material that is 10 times stronger. Photo/NewAtlas
WASHINGTON – Engineers from the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) successfully developed LionGlass, type new glass material which is 10 times stronger. LionGlass too environmentally friendly because it requires much less energy for the manufacturing process.
The most common form of glass uses soda lime silicate glass and to produce it requires furnaces that reach temperatures of up to 1,500 degrees Celsius. In addition, glass, which is made of quartz sand, soda ash and limestone, releases CO2 when melted.
Now, Penn State researchers have come up with a recipe for a more environmentally friendly to produce, as well as stronger, glass called LionGlass. This new type of glass gains strength by exchanging soda ash and limestone with aluminum oxide or ferrous compounds.
So the silica content can vary from 40% to 90% by weight. Replacing the carbonate not only reduces its direct emission during thawing, but also lowers the temperature required by up to 400 degrees centigrade.
That in turn reduces energy consumption by about 30% and reduces emissions. The Penn State research team has filed for a patent on LionGlass, and hope to bring it to market soon.
Some of LionGlass’s new compositions have a crack resistance that is at least 10 times higher than standard soda lime glass. The team tested the samples under a Vickers diamond indenter, finding that the glass did not crack even under 1 kg of force. In comparison, ordinary glass will start to crack under a load of only 0.1 kg.
“We continued to add weight to LionGlass until we reached the maximum load allowed by the equipment,” said Nick Clark, a researcher on the project quoted from the NewAtlas page, Tuesday (4/7/2023).
The Penn State research team says the benefits of LionGlass can be multiplied in the real world because of its higher strength. Moreover, products made from these materials can be thinner and lighter.
“We should be able to reduce thickness and still get the same level of damage resistance. If we have a lighter weight product, it is better for the environment,” said John Mauro, principal investigator on the project.
(wib)
2023-07-04 11:17:44
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