Friday 29 March 2024
 
»
 
»
Story

Japanese varsity creates glass ‘as strong as steel’

TOKYO, November 5, 2015

Researchers at University of Tokyo have created a type of glass that is thought to be twice as strong as normal glass and nearly as strong as steel, and has the potential to act as a new structural material in construction, a report said.

“The substance is strengthened by adding aluminium oxide to silicon dioxide, a process that is difficult to effect using conventional techniques because the compound crystallises when it makes contact with another solid, and this prevents glass from forming in the normal way,” said the Global Construction Review.

The research team solved this problem by using gas to push the aluminium oxide into the silicon, so the substance does not come into contact with any surfaces.

“We will establish a way to mass produce the new material shortly. We are looking to commercialise the technique within five years,” Atsunobu Masuno an assistant professor at University of Tokyo’s Institute of Industrial Science was quoted as saying in the report, which cited Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

The ‘glass’, half of which is made up of aluminium, could also be used to prevent smart phones from cracking when dropped on concrete.




Tags: Steel | Glass |

More Construction & Real Estate Stories

calendarCalendar of Events

Ads