Gorilla Glass

Gorilla Glass, manufactured by Corning, is an alkali-aluminosilicate thin sheet glass engineered specifically to be thinner, lighter and more damage-resistant for portable electronic devices with screens, such as mobile phones, portable media players, and laptop displays. Corning experimented with chemically strengthened glass in 1960, as part of an initiative called “Project Muscle.” But Gorilla Glass was a new project started in 2006 to develop a tough cover glass for electronic devices drawing on their previous strengthened glass research.^[1][2]

Its most useful qualities are its strength, scratch resistance and thinness. Gorilla Glass was used in about 20 percent of the world's approximately 200 million mobile handsets in 2010.^[3] Corning says that Gorilla Glass is RF compatible and has outstanding optical clarity, making it suitable for HD and 3-D televisions.^[4]

Manufacturing process

The glass is placed in a hot bath of molten salt at a temperature of approximately 400 °C (~750 °F). Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the salt bath replace them. These larger ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass. Gorilla Glass's special composition enables the potassium ions to diffuse far into the surface, creating high compressive stress deep into the glass. This layer of compression creates a surface that is more resistant to damage from everyday use. Like all glass, Gorilla glass can be recycled.^[5]

Corning manufactures Gorilla Glass in Harrodsburg, Kentucky (USA) and in Shizuoka, Japan.

References

1. ^ Nusca, Andrew (December 22, 2009). "The science behind stronger display glass on your phone, computer". SmartPlanet. http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/smart-takes/the-science-behind-stronger-display-glass-on-your-phone-computer/2997. Retrieved 8 October 2011. 
2. ^ "FAQs". Corning Gorilla Glass. http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/faqs/all. Retrieved 8 October 2011. 
3. ^ Ulanoff, Lance (January 12, 2011). "Why Is Gorilla Glass So Strong?". PC MAG. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375657,00.asp#fbid=pNH_03XZSer. Retrieved 8 October 2011. 
4. ^ "Innovating with Gorilla". Corning Gorilla Glass. http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/innovating-with-gorilla. Retrieved 8 October 2011.  Web page with links to detailed technical information and application notes
5. ^ "FAQs". Corning Gorilla Glass. http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/faqs/all. Retrieved 8 October 2011.