. 24/7 Space News .
TECH SPACE
Self-healing glass: a cracking discovery from Japan
By Hiroshi HIYAMA
Tokyo (AFP) Dec 28, 2017


A Japanese researcher has developed -- by accident-- a new type of glass that can be repaired simply by pressing it back together after it cracks.

The discovery opens the way for super-durable glass that could triple the lifespan of everyday products like car windows, construction materials, fish tanks and even toilet seats.

Yu Yanagisawa, a chemistry researcher at the University of Tokyo, made the breakthrough by chance while investigating adhesives that can be used on wet surfaces.

Does this mean you will soon be able to repair those cracks in your smartphone with a quick press of the fingers? Or surreptitiously piece together a shattered beer glass dropped after one pint too many?

Well, not quite. Not now and in fact, not in the near future.

But it does open a window of opportunity for researchers to explore ways to make more durable, lightweight, glass-like items, like car windows.

In a lab demonstration for AFP, Yanagisawa broke a glass sample into two pieces.

He then held the cross sections of the two pieces together for about 30 seconds until the glass repaired itself, almost resembling its original form.

To demonstrate its strength, he then hung a nearly full bottle of water from the piece of glass -- and it stayed intact.

The organic glass, made of a substance called polyether thioureas, is closer to acrylic than mineral glass, which is used for tableware and smartphone screens.

Other scientists have demonstrated similar properties by using rubber or gel materials but Yanagisawa was the first to demonstrate the self-healing concept with glass.

The secret lies in the thiourea, which uses hydrogen bonding to make the edges of the shattered glass self-adhesive, according to Yanagisawa's study.

But what use is all this if it cannot produce a self-healing smartphone screen?

"It is not realistically about fixing what is broken, more about making longer-lasting resin glass," Yanagisawa told AFP.

Glass products can fracture after years of use due to physical stress and fatigue.

"When a material breaks, it has already had many tiny scars that have accumulated to result in major destruction," Yanagisawa said.

"What this study showed was a path toward making a safe and long-lasting resin glass", which is used in a wide range of everyday items.

"We may be able to double or triple the lifespan of something that currently lasts for 10 or 20 years", he said.

TECH SPACE
Experiments reveal evidence of exotic new matter state
Washington (UPI) Dec 22, 2017
Scientists in Germany have observed evidence of a new and exotic matter state. The discovery could offer insights into the phenomena of superconductivity. When scientists confined ultracold atoms to a 2D medium, scientists witnessed a unique type of particle pairing. They described the unusual interactions between the particles, called fermions, in a new paper published this week in the ... read more

Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research


Thanks for being there;
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 Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

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

TECH SPACE
Crew of three docks at International Space Station

Soyuz carrying Expedition 53 crew lands in Kazakhstan

The Moon Shines Brightly Among NASA's 2017 Highlights

SpaceX resupply truck Dragon on route to ISS for space research delivery

TECH SPACE
ArianeGroup to start production of the first Ariane 62

RS-25 Engine Test is Giant Step for 3-D Printing

ArianeGroup signs contract with ESA for future Prometheus engine

In first, SpaceX launches recycled rocket and spaceship

TECH SPACE
Planting oxygen ensures a breath of fresh air

Opportunity Comes to a Fork in the Road

Designing future human space exploration on Hawaii's lava fields

Space program should focus on Mars, says editor of New Space

TECH SPACE
Nation 'leads world' in remote sensing technology

China plans for nuclear-powered interplanetary capacity by 2040

China plans first sea based launch by 2018

China's reusable spacecraft to be launched in 2020

TECH SPACE
Green Light for Continued Operations of ESA Science Missions

New business incubators will help space industry grow

mu Space becomes first Thai startup to acquire satellite license

Regulation and compliance for nontraditional space missions

TECH SPACE
Water without windows: Capturing water vapor inside an electron microscope

Two holograms in one surface

Computer systems predict objects' responses to physical forces

Hot vibrating gases under the electron spotlight

TECH SPACE
Cold suns, warm exoplanets and methane blankets

Spanning disciplines in the search for life beyond Earth

NASA uses AI to uncover eighth planet circling distant star

No alien 'signals' from cigar-shaped asteroid: researchers

TECH SPACE
Study explains why Jupiter's jet stream reverses course on a predictable schedule

New Horizons Corrects Its Course in the Kuiper Belt

Does New Horizons' Next Target Have a Moon?

Juno probes the depths of Jupiter's Great Red Spot









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - 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. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. 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. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.