World’s Strongest Glass that’s as Hard as Diamond Discovered
upstart writes:
Chinese Scientists Develop World'S Strongest Glass That's As Hard As Diamond:
Scientists in China have developed the hardest and strongest glassy material known so far that can scratch diamond crystals with ease.
The researchers, including those from Yanshan University in China, noted that the new material - tentatively named AM-III - has outstanding" mechanical and electronic properties, and could find applications in solar cells due to its ultra-high" strength and wear resistance.
Analysis of the material, published in the journal National Science Review, revealed that its hardness reached 113 gigapascals (GPa) while natural diamond stone usually scores 50 to 70 on the same test.
[...] While in diamond crystals, the organised internal structure of its atoms and molecules contribute to their immense strength and hardness, in AM-III the researchers found that a combination of order and disorder of its molecules give rise to its strange properties.
[...] To achieve this order of molecules, the scientists crushed and blended the fullerenes together, gradually applying intense heat and pressure of about 25 GPa and 1,200 degrees Celsius in an experimental chamber for about 12 hours, spending an equal amount of time cooling the material.
Journal Reference:
Zhang, Shuangshuang, Li, Zihe, Luo, Kun, et al. Discovery of carbon-based strongest and hardest amorphous material [open], National Science Review (DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwab140)
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