Penn State has produced a new type of glass called LionGlass that they claim uses 50% less energy to produce and is 10x more resistance to breaking and cracking. If LionGlass is indeed stronger, we will see a new type of glass coming to market in the future.
Researches at Penn State engineered this new type of glass and have recently filed for a patent which might be why it is hard to find out exact information on how it is manufactured. Penn State claims that LionGlass is 10 times more crack resistant. By being less crack resistant, you can use thinner glass for applications like auto glass, building glass, and I-phone glass.
Standard glass is manufactured using soda ash, quartz sand & limestone, then using an extreme amount of heat; heating it up to 1500′ C. The heating process uses an extremely large amount of energy. LionGlass gets its stronger properties by using aluminum oxide or an iron compound instead. Using these raw materials means smelting can be 400’C cooler; thus using less energy in the manufacturing process. This will make it a more Eco Friendly Glass.
Another way to reduce carbon emissions is by applying solar reflective window film on glass. This reduces the amount of solar heat that passes through a window into a home or office. Depending on the final construction of LionGlass, it will be interesting to see how solar films work with LionGlass to block heat. Stay tuned for more updates on this new product.
Different Types of Glass include:
- Annealed Glass (also known as “Float Glass”)
- Heat Treated Glass
- Tempered Glass
- And now, LionGlass (TBA) ? A more eco friendly manufacturing process by using less energy to create.
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