The Future of Glass
Glass objects as old as 5000 BCE have been discovered in parts of the world, proving that it’s a material that has aided civilizations for millennia. We use it every day in our cars, homes, offices, eyeglasses and jewelry—to name just a few items. The kind of glass that ancient civilizations molded into amulets and beads is a far cry from the sort of glass that makes up your car windshield, home windows and smart phone, however.
“Safety glass,” which is glass that’s reinforced with plastic to prevent shattering, was invented in France in 1903, and glassmaking technology has been booming ever since. Scientists figured out that this reinforced glass would stand up to significantly more heat, pressure and impact.
Modern technology has improved glassmaking, so much so that Corelle Brands (makers of Corning Ware kitchenware, but also glass for smart phones, the Hubble telescope and more) calls this “The Glass Age.” With billions of smart phones in existence, glass is second only to the processor in terms of ubiquity and importance.
So where is glassmaking headed in the future? As providers of window glass repair in Denver, CO, the team at Reliable Glass has a lot of interest in this subject.
The “Glass Genome”
The Materials Genome Initiative is a project that attempts to look at the very building blocks of materials we may take for granted, so that scientists can understand their composition, structure and property relationships. The researchers are using everything from physics to machine learning in a collaborative environment, and bridge the gap between the glass chemistry and physics research teams. The hope is that by using a variety of different research methods, science’s knowledge will expand exponentially; researchers seem confident that they’ll be able to form glass in new compositions.
Gorilla Glass and the Future of Glass Technology
One of the biggest technological advances of recent years is Corning Ware’s “gorilla glass,” which is an extremely thin layer of reinforced glass—the sort of glass that makes up touchscreens. Corelle Brands is predicting that the future of glass technology will include touchscreens the way we’ve only seen in movies—transparent glass walls and tabletops that can display data. They’re already in use in jets and other high-tech industries. Ultimately, Corelle Brands predicts that they’ll be able to make images seen through these screens and windshields look like it’s actually part of the landscape. This could be a huge boon for augmented reality devices, such as the short-lived Google Glass phenomenon.
For an ancient material, glass certainly has proved its usefulness over centuries, and it shows no sign of becoming any less relevant!
If you’re interested in what modern glass can do for your home, the team at Reliable Glazing can help. We’re a locally-owned business serving Denver and the surrounding areas since 2003. We’re proud to offer affordable—and reliable—window glass reglazing, safety tempering, tinting and window glass repair in Denver, CO. Call us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about what we can do for you!
Categorised in: Window Glass Repair