Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




TECH SPACE
Researchers identify process for improving durability of glass
by Staff Writers
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 16, 2015


"The key finding is that if you use specific conditions to form glass - the right pressure and the right composition of the material - you can design reversible glasses that show little or no aging over time," Mathieu Bauchy said.

Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris have identified a method for manufacturing longer-lasting and stronger forms of glass. The research could lead to more durable display screens, fiber optic cables, windows and other materials, including cement.

Glasses are liquids that are cooled in the manufacturing process to reach a stable "frozen liquid" state. However, as glass ages and is exposed to temperature variations, it continues to flow or "relax," causing it to change shape.

This means that over time, windows and digital screens can deform, eventually becoming unusable. In the case of cement, which has a molecular structure similar to that of glass, relaxation eventually leads to cracking and, in bridges and tall buildings, a loss of structural integrity.

Mathieu Bauchy, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCLA, and Matthieu Micoulaut, a professor of materials science at the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, have identified optimal conditions for developing more durable glass and cement.

By performing computer simulations to test the molecular dynamics of materials commonly used to make glass, the researchers identified a range of pressures that are best for achieving "thermal reversibility," in which a material will retain the same properties it had when it was produced, even if it has been exposed over time to variations in temperature. The research was published in Nature Communications.

"The key finding is that if you use specific conditions to form glass - the right pressure and the right composition of the material - you can design reversible glasses that show little or no aging over time," Bauchy said.

Bauchy said the molecular structure of glass is analogous to the metal framework of the Eiffel Tower. Strength and rigidity are partially a result of the angles at which beams and crossbeams connect. The researchers' new process improves the angles at which molecular bonds occur, making the material stronger.

The research could also have a significant impact in slowing the production of greenhouse gases. The manufacture of cement and concrete results in approximately 5 percent of all greenhouse gas production, according to the American Ceramic Society.

"The smaller the quantity of material we use to rebuild deteriorating structures, the better it is for the environment," said Bauchy, whose research focuses on forging stronger ties between fundamental physics and engineering to design better, more sustainable materials.

Bauchy was the lead author of the research; Micoulaut was the principal investigator.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
University of California - Los Angeles
Space Technology News - Applications and Research






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





TECH SPACE
German govt okays bill to boost electronic appliance recyling
Berlin (AFP) March 11, 2015
German consumers will have the right to hand in discarded electronic appliances, from toasters to TV sets, at large specialist shops under a draft recycling law approved by the cabinet Wednesday. Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said the blueprint to overhaul an existing law aims to ensure that "in future, still fewer old appliances land in the household rubbish and instead are dispose ... read more


TECH SPACE
China Gets One Step Closer to Completing its Ambitious Lunar Mission

Core work: Iron vapor gives clues to formation of Earth and moon

Application of laser microprobe technology to Apollo samples refines lunar impact history

NASA releases video of the far side of the Moon

TECH SPACE
Taking a Closer Look at Purple-Bluish Rock Formation

Mystery Giant Mars Plumes Still Unexplained

Have you ever used a camera on board an interplanetary spacecraft

Use of Rover Arm Expected to Resume in a Few Days

TECH SPACE
Merkel to open IT fair with China showcasing tech's shift east

Intergalactic GPS Will Guide You through the Stars

Space soprano plans first duet from ISS

Planetary Society Announces Test Flight for Privately Funded LightSail Spacecraft

TECH SPACE
China's Space Laboratory Still Cloaked

China has ability but no plan for manned lunar mission: expert

Tianzhou-1 cargo ship to dock with space lab in 2016

China's test spacecraft simulates orbital docking

TECH SPACE
International Space Station 'Lost' Without Russia Says NASA Chief

US astronauts speed through spacewalk at orbiting lab

Watching Alloys Change from Liquid to Solid Could Lead to Better Metals

NASA Hopes to Continue Cooperation on ISS Until 2024

TECH SPACE
Soyuz Installed at Baikonur, Expected to Launch Wednesday

45th Space Wing unveils multi-vehicle launch support center

THOR 7 being fueled for Arianespace's dual-payload April mission

Arianespace wins SES-15 launch contract

TECH SPACE
Scientists: Nearby Earth-like planet isn't just 'noise'

'Habitable' planet GJ 581d previously dismissed as noise probably does exist

Exorings on the Horizon

Planet 'Reared' by Four Parent Stars

TECH SPACE
German govt okays bill to boost electronic appliance recyling

Researchers develop 'visual Turing test'

Understanding The Electromagnetic Environmental Effects On Space Systems

Google gearing Android for virtual reality: report




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.