Ultra-hard glass could put an end to smashed phone screens
Scientists in Japan have developed new type of glass that is stronger than steel and could put an end to smashed phone screens
Roughly one-in-five people are walking around with a cracked smartphone screen
By Sophie Curtis
5:55PM GMT 04 Nov 2015
The days of smashed smartphone screens could soon be over, thanks to a new type of ultra-hard glass that claims to be nearly as strong as steel.
Developed by scientists from the University of Tokyo and Japan's Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, the new material is made using alumina, an oxide of aluminium.
Previous attempts to use alumina in glass have been unsuccessful as it tends to crystallise when it touches the sides of a container.
The fine structure of the crystals in the glass help to make it extremely hard while retaining its ability to allow light to travel through itThe fine structure of the crystals in the glass help to make it extremely hard while retaining its ability to allow light to travel through it Photo: Scientific Reports
However, the research team used oxygen gas to push the materials into the air, and then used lasers to melt them, producing a glass that is colourless, transparent and extremely hard.
As well as being hard, the new material is also very thin, allowing mobile phone screens to become thinner and lighter than ever before.
Reporting their results in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers said that thinner and lighter glasses are desired "for the fabrication of windows in buildings and cars, cover glasses for smartphones".
Dr Atsunobu Masuno, from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo, told the Asahi Shinbun newspaper that he and his team were hoping to commercialise the technique within five years.
Moto X Force
According to a recent survey by Motorola, roughly one-in-five smartphone owners are currently using a device with a cracked or shattered screen.
Last month, the company launched a new device called the Moto X Force, which it claims has a "shatterproof" display, thanks to an integrated system of five layers that absorb shock from impact.
The display and embedded lens are warranted against shattering and cracking for four years from the original date of purchase, but the phone is not shockproof or designed to withstand all damage from dropping.
