MIT Researchers Invent 'Super Glass'

redletterdave writes "On Thursday, researchers at MIT announced a breakthrough in glass-making technology, which basically involves a new way to create surface textures on glass to eliminate all of the drawbacks of glass, including unwanted reflections and glare. The research team wanted to build glass that could be adaptable to any environment: Their 'multifunctional' glass is not only crystal clear, but it also causes water droplets to bounce right off its surface, 'like tiny rubber balls.' The glass is self-cleaning, anti-reflective, and superhydrophobic. The invention has countless applications, including TV screens, as well as smartphone and tablet displays that benefit from the self-cleaning ability of the glass by resisting moisture and contamination by sweat."

Comments

Not so perfect

[BagOBones]

But can you build a whale tank with it?

Re:Not so perfect

[JoeDuncan]

No. You need transparent aluminum for that.

Re:Not so perfect

[k31bang]

Yeah, we got that as well. I think it's called Aluminium oxynitride. $15 a square inch. Fun stuff. ;-)

Eliminates *all* the drawbacks to glass?

[GoodNewsJimDotCom]

To me, it sounds like a very bold claim to eliminate all the drawbacks from anything. Maybe you made it a little bit better. But I don't think there is anything in this universe that you can eliminate all the drawbacks. I mean even eliminating a drawback tends to make a new drawback. Lets say you made glass so durable that it wouldn't fracture when hit with a hammer, then you might not want to use that glass in an emergency box which says,"In case of emergency, smash glass"

Re:Eliminates *all* the drawbacks to glass?

[interkin3tic]

Lets say you made glass so durable that it wouldn't fracture when hit with a hammer, then you might not want to use that glass in an emergency box which says,"In case of emergency, smash glass"

That would only be a drawback if this new "super" glass, when synthesized, automatically replaces all existing glass. Or somehow makes it impossible to make regular glass. Also, most of those have been replaced with "OPEN in the case of emergency." Like as in the fire extinguisher is behind a door and you can just open it. Much less dramatic, which is, I suppose, a drawback. You'll still look like a hero putting out the fire, but without blood dripping down your arm while doing so, you'll lose a bit of heroicness.

Re:Eliminates *all* the drawbacks to glass?

[dumuzi]

And I would run into my patio door far more often. Damn clean glass.

Re:Eliminates *all* the drawbacks to glass?

[L4t3r4lu5]

And I would run into my patio door far more often. Damn clean glass.

Yes, but your face wouldn't leave a greasy smear.

Vehicle Use?

[teknoviking]

If you could incorporate this in vehicles windshields, you'd have the same benefits and maybe not need mechanical wipers or defrosters.

Re:Vehicle Use?

[PPH]

No wipers? This is sure to run afoul of the powerful Brotherhood of Parking Lot Leaflet Stuffers union. BoPLLS will be drafting model legislation to ban its use.

Re:Vehicle Use?

[slippyblade]

Ever tried to break windshield glass? It doesn't. That's the whole point of windshield glass. If you watch the videos of rescuers pulling folks out through windshields, the windshield itself has been removed or pried to the side. Smashed, crazed, but still in effectively one piece.

Re:Vehicle Use?

[tom17]

That's funny, I am used to using rain-x. When it wears and I need to start using the wipers again, I find the huge chunks of metal and rubber whooshing past my face to be very distracting while driving.

It's all down to what you are used to :)

Plus Rain-X does a much better job of giving you good visibility in seriously heavy rain (imo).

Re:Vehicle Use?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean if they somehow jump over the iron spikes in the front of the car?
What you mean what iron spikes?

Re:Vehicle Use?

[DinDaddy]

Easy. Have little sprayers to get them wet just before they strike your windshield.

Forget tablets & phones...

[White Flame]

If this is as hydrophobic as they claim, I want a windshield made of the stuff.

Re:Forget tablets & phones...

[Black Parrot]

Hmmm.... Idea - hydrophobic beer bottles.

Would that even work?

No, 'cause then *all* of it would squirt out when you pop the top.

Noooooo

[Twinbee]

But then how can we buy new TV sets that actually look glossy and new!

Re:I can see it now...

[CubicleView]

They might think they've made a breakthrough with this crystal clear non reflecting glass, but I just don't see it.

Camera front elements

[squidflakes]

Wow, glass with those properties being used for front elements on camera lenses would be amazing. Anti-glare without having to resort to all sorts of coatings, no fogging or moisture would be great too, especially if you're shooting in very humid environments.

As long as the micro-structures on the surface didn't change the optical properties so much as to be detrimental to the incoming light.

Re:Camera front elements

[shimage]

Wavefronts will reflect off of any surface where there is a change in wave speed. If the lens works as a lens, then it's hard to remove the reflections. Coatings work by reflecting the light back through the lens element (in a manner of speaking), so it still works well. If I understand the article correctly, some lab at MIT came up with a surface texture that causes water to bead. Probably the fact that it is very finely textured is the reason that reflections aren't a big problem. That is fine in the same way that matte screens are fine, but this isn't going to work if you want clear pictures. It might be ok on consumer lenses, though.

superhydrophobia

[trb]

so this glass has really bad rabies?

Re:superhydrophobia

[Anonymous Coward]

The joke works just fine, but it requires a degree of literacy to get it. Long ago, "hydrophobia" was the name given to what we now call rabies, as one of the early symptoms of the illness is that the person or animal stops drinking water and slowly becomes dehydrated.

I would say that superhydrophobia is when you shoot Old Yeller, and he just gets back up, angrier than before. That's when you notice he's wearing a cape.

For comparison...

[Twinbee]

For comparison with a water droplet (the closer to 180 degrees you get, the closer to a perfect non-wettable/sticky surface you have):

This new glass (165 degree contact angle)
The upcoming Neverwet material (160 to 175 degrees)
Lotus leaf or even some birds' feather (150 degrees)
Rain-X (110 degrees - car windshield protector)
Teflon (95-110 degrees - surprisingly low, but then it needs to be tough and heat-proof)
Car wax (90 degrees)
Human skin (90 degrees - PDF warning)

I wonder what the durability of the glass is compared to Neverwet w(which is pervious to solvents, detergents, soap and high pressure water)...

If is all as stated..then it has great application

[Anonymous Coward]

If is all as stated..then it has great application. Aircraft cockpit windows just for one. I am sure that fighter pilots would love to have clearer visibility ( at least thru the windows itself) while going 700+ mph in rain.

Endless uses include:

[TankSpanker04]

Porn-friendly monitors?

That's the Spirit

[alien-alien]

Spirit and Opportunity would have benefited greatly from glass that was self cleaning. Would not have needed to wait for Dust Devils and playful Mars Bunnies to clean off the photo cells.

Re:Superhydrophobic?

[Twinbee]

The contact angle of a water droplet has to exceed 150 degrees. This makes it even better at keeping the surface completely dry and dirt free. Plain 'Hydrophobic' is merely more than 90 degrees.