Future mobile phone screens are not afraid of broken shells, biomimetic glass is indestructible

Scientists at McGill University in Canada were inspired by mollusk shells to develop stronger glass. When impacted, this type of glass will not break, but has toughness like plastic, and may have broad application prospects in the future, such as improving mobile phone screens.

Tempering, laminating and other technologies can strengthen glass, but the cost is high, and once the surface is damaged, it no longer works. Researchers say that striking a balance between high strength, toughness, and transparency is key to manufacturing new materials.

Alan Ehrlich, Associate Professor of Bioengineering at McGill University, drew inspiration from nature to create a new type of glass and acrylic composite material similar to the pearl layer in pearl oysters. The new material is not only three times stronger than ordinary glass, but also has more than five times higher crack resistance.

Pearl oysters have both the rigidity of hard materials and the durability of soft materials, both of which are combined, "explained Orich." The new material is composed of hard blocks like chalk, covered with highly elastic soft proteins. This structure can produce extraordinary strength, making it 3000 times tougher than the materials that make it up

Researchers replicated the pearl layer of pearl oysters using layers of glass flakes and acrylic, creating a very sturdy but opaque material that is easy to manufacture and cost-effective. Subsequently, they further enhanced the optical transparency of the composite material.

Ali Amini, a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University and the main author of the research paper, said, "By adjusting the refractive index of acrylic acid, we seamlessly mixed it with glass to form a truly transparent composite material

Next, they plan to combine intelligent technology to improve glass, allowing it to change color, mechanical properties, and conductivity.

It is speculated that flexible glass was a lost invention during the reign of Roman Emperor Tiberius Caesar. According to the records of Roman writers, an inventor presented a drinking bowl made of this material to the emperor. When attempting to break the bowl to test its hardness, it only sank down without breaking. After the inventor swore that he was the only one who knew how to produce this material, Tiberius executed him because he was worried that this potentially more valuable glass would devalue gold and silver.

Eurich said, "When I think of the story of Tiberius, I am glad that our material innovation has brought about 'rebirth' rather than 'disillusionment'