Unbreakable Glass: Researchers Develop Supreme Toughness in Paracrystallized Aluminosilicate

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have developed a highly damage-tolerant glass by paracrystallizing aluminosilicate glass under high pressures and temperatures. The resulting paracrystalline structures significantly increase the toughness of the glass, reaching a value never before measured for oxide glasses. The transparency of the glass is not affected, and the paracrystalline structures dissolve under external forces, enhancing the glass's internal plasticity and preventing breakage or cracking. This discovery opens up possibilities for developing highly damage-tolerant glass materials.