Chinese scientists develop the strongest glass in the world
Scientists at China’s Yanshan University have developed the hardest and strongest glass-like material known to date. It is said to be able to scratch diamond crystals with ease.
AM-III – this awkward name was given by a Chinese research team to a slightly yellowish material that, in short, we can call the “strongest glass in the world” so far. The primary purpose is already clear. Due to its excellent mechanical and electronic properties, especially its “ultra-high” strength, AM-III is predestined for use in modern solar cells, according to the scientists. However, it could also be used to manufacture bulletproof windows that would be between 20 and 100 times more resistant than current products in this segment. Hardness, temperature resistance and conductivity could also make the material interesting for the weapons industry.
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AM-III: Not only high-strength, also particularly conductive
In the magazine National Science Review The researchers led by Professor Tian Yongjun from the “Center for High Pressure Science” at Yanshan University in North China have now published an analysis of the new material. In a test they show that the glass-like AM-III reaches a hardness of 113 gigapascals (GPa). If you apply this so-called Vickers test to diamonds, these typically reach between 50 and 70 gigapascals.
However, the strength, which surpasses that of diamonds, is not the only major argument in favor of continuing research on AM-III. Rather, the material has energy absorption properties that can be influenced and that are comparable to those of semiconductors, such as amorphous silicon.
While the ordered internal structure of the atoms and molecules in diamond crystals contributes to their immense strength and hardness, the researchers experimented in a different direction when developing AM-III. So they found out that a combination of order and disorder of the molecules leads to the amazing properties of the material.
Ultra-hard glass made from fullerenes
They experimented with fullerenes and made different types of glass-like materials with different molecular organization from them, of which the later AM-III turned out to be the hardest element. Fullerenes, also called “bucky balls” (in German about “grid balls”), represent the third modification of carbon, alongside diamond and graphite.
If you look at its structure, you will most likely want to compare it optically with a soccer ball. Chemically correctly designated, fullerenes are spherical molecules made of carbon atoms with high symmetry. In daily use, fullerenes can be handled as a brown-black powder with a slightly metallic sheen.
The researchers used the same powders of various orders for their experiments. They mixed and crushed the molecules and then heated them in a test chamber to 1,200 degrees Celsius for 12 hours while applying pressure of 25 gigapascals. They then let the material cool down for as long as it was heated.
As a result, they ultimately achieved the unique combination of strength and conductivity. AM-III was found to be so tough that it was able to scratch diamond surfaces with ease.
