Oct 06, 2021 11:04:00

Utilizing the structure of 'seashell', a new glass that does not break into pieces and has elasticity like plastic is developed even though it is glass

Inspired by the structure of the nacre inside the shell, scientists have developed a new glass material with plastic-like elasticity that won't shatter under impact. This glass material is expected to be used in smartphone displays in the future.

Unbreakable glass inspired by seashells --McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/unbreakable-glass-inspired-seashells-333730

Researchers Have Developed a New Kind of'Unbreakable' Glass
https://interestingengineering.com/researchers-have-developed-a-new-kind-of-unbreakable-glass

Generally, in order to increase the strength of glass, tempering or bonding of glass using resin is performed. However, these processes are costly and have the problem that the damage cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

Allen Ehrlicher, an associate professor of biological engineering at McGill University, has announced a new, strong glass that solves this problem. The new glass is said to have three times the strength and five times the fracture toughness of ordinary glass.

Biotechnology researcher Ehrlicher came up with the idea of developing a new material inspired by the nacre. 'Nature is a master of design. Biologically studying the structure of matter and understanding how it works can inspire new materials and sometimes blueprints.' Mr. Ehrlicher.

The nacre on the inside of the shell has both the 'durability' properties of soft materials and the 'rigidity' of hard materials. This is because the nacre is composed of a substance like

chalk that achieves hardness by layering soft proteins with high elasticity. It is said that this structure produces extraordinary strength.

The left side below is the glass structure, and the right side is the nacre structure.

Ehrlicher scrutinized the structure of the nacre and found that, in theory, a mixture of glass pieces and acrylic could mass-produce glass with a similar structure cheaply and quickly. With this method, there was a problem that the transparency of glass would decrease, but it is thought that by adjusting the refractive index of acrylic, it is possible to secure the same transparency as conventional glass.

The new glass is expected to be used in smartphone displays in the future. The research team says that it will continue research so that it can change the color, manufacturing method, conductivity, etc. of glass using smart technology.