March 17, 2009 -- As anyone who lives too close to a baseball field knows, glass can be frustratingly fragile. But a new type of glass, made from opaque titanium and zirconium instead of transparent silicon, is harder and tougher -- and weighs less -- than stainless steel. The California scientists who developed and tested the opaque glass hope it could one day replace steel and aluminum in a wide variety of products, from golf clubs to airplanes. "The problem with most [types of] glass is that they have very bad fatigue resistance," meaning they break easily, said Maximilien Launey, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who, along with Douglas Hofmann, William Johnson, and Robert Ritchie, detail their new material in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "What we've done is introduce a second phase that is able to improve the fatigue resistance by a factor of 10. Now it's as good as other high-strength alloys like steel," he said. Related Content:
All glass, including window glass and opaque metallic glass, lacks a uniform crystalline structure. Instead, the atoms are randomly grouped together, with lots of atoms in one area but relatively few in another. Those groups of atoms dovetail to create a strong, hard surface, but a vulnerable one -- even the tiniest cracks can grow enough to destroy the entire structure. By contrast, crystalline structures are uniform, allowing groups of atoms to slide past one another with relative ease, which stops cracks from forming and spreading. The difference between crystalline and non-crystalline materials is like the difference between a stack of playing cards and a stack of rugs, said William Nix, a professor of material science at Stanford University who was not involved in the new research. Playing cards slide easily across one another, but the rough texture of the rugs grab a hold of each other, making it more difficult to slide them apart. To create the tough, metallic glass, the scientists first heat an alloy of half titanium and half zirconium to 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit) until it melts. The liquid metal is allowed to cool slowly for a minute or two, and then cooled very rapidly after that. Get More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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