The effect niobium oxide has on the macroscopic properties of glass is reasonably well-known, but its specific structural role in glass remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, researchers from the Center for Research, Technology, and Education in Vitreous Materials in Brazil combined spectroscopic data on niobium-containing silicate glasses with advanced computational modeling.
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In the new movie Elemental, the fire character Ember uses tempered glass to patch a hole in the canal wall. But could glass be used in real life to hold back flood water? Today’s CTT considers this question and what could cause tempered glass to fail.
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The Glass & Optical Materials Division Annual Meeting took place June 4–8, 2023, in New Orleans. Organized by Walter Kob (University of Montpellier) and Qiang Fu (Corning Inc.), the conference welcomed just over 300 people, with about 40% of the attendees from outside the U.S.
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Initially proposed as a simple pondering by a U.S. chemist in the 1940s, the controversial Kauzmann paradox has inspired hundreds of follow-up papers in a variety of scientific disciplines. Now, researchers in the U.S. and Brazil led by ACerS Fellows Edgar D. Zanotto and John C. Mauro argue it may be best to focus future glass research elsewhere.
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Glass block walls can be a desirable way to maximize natural light exposure in a building, but their thermal properties do not allow for the best energy efficiency. Researchers at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology designed aerogel-filled glass bricks that are translucent as well as thermally insulating and strong.
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Deviations in the atomic structure of glass can significantly affect the material’s macroscopic properties, yet most studies to date do not account for these deviations. A recent review paper led by researchers at The Pennsylvania State University comprehensively reviews various experimental and computational techniques used to characterize and evaluate the effects of these deviations on commercially relevant glass-forming oxide systems.
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Advancements in glass processing and design have improved the material’s mechanical properties to the point that glass is starting to be used in load-bearing applications. In July 2023, the use of a novel glass court will debut on the world stage during the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
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The process by which a crystal nucleates and grows within a glass during heat treatments remains a conceptually ill-understood phenomenon. Researchers in Brazil developed a nuclear magnetic resonance strategy combined with atomistic computer simulations that allowed them to shed unprecedented light on the structural changes that take place in a glass during relaxation and crystal nucleation.
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Reliance on single-use packaging significantly contributes to plastic pollution. Chicago-based startup Kadeya designed a unique “closed-loop” water vending service based on reusable glass bottles that could help cut plastic waste in the vending sector.
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The International Year of Glass may be over, but the Age of Glass is just beginning. In homage to IYOG, an international group of researchers published an open-access review paper describing the past, present, and future of glass in the exciting field of photonics.
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