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Tag Archive for: light emitting glass

Light emitting glass from Down Under

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Light emitting glass from Down Under

Light emitting glass from Down Under

Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed light-emitting glass. The panes of glass can be used to make highly transparent displays. Because the glass does not lose any of its natural characteristics, it can still be formed into virtually any shape.

To create the glass, the researchers used a technique called direct doping. The technique involves combining both the glass and the previously prepared light-emitting nanoparticles under precise manufacturing conditions and closely controlled temperatures. Managing the temperature allows both materials to retain most of their unique characteristics. The technique is also simpler than other specialized glass fabricating techniques.

Light-emitting glass could be useful in a number of different applications. According to the researchers, the glass could be useful in medical imaging, sensing, and volumetric displays. One potential application (that has yet to be developed), would allow physicians to use light-emitting glass sensors to enter areas of the body that have traditionally been difficult to access, or that are currently only examined with fluorescent dyes.

The scientists created light-emitting glass because they combined glass with photonic particles. The technique could be used to combine glass with other types of particles to make a whole host of glass-hybrid materials. For example, the same technique could be used with electronic, magnetic or other kinds of photonic particles to create conductive or magnetic glass, or glasses with other light-related properties.

The simplicity of the manufacturing technique will allow the researchers (and research teams at other universities) to create and test a range of new materials relatively quickly. Because the specialized nanoparticles are prepared prior to production, the researchers can easily predict the behavior of the resulting hybrid glass.

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Photo Credit: Jeff Wilcox, via Flickr.com

Light emitting glass glows

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Light emitting glass glows

Light emitting glass glows

An Australian team comprised of researchers from the University of Adelaide, the University of Melbourne and Macquarie University have developed a glass that glows in the dark without the use of photoluminescent coatings. They embedded photoluminescent nanoparticles into glass in what they call a “direct doping” approach. The nanoparticles are invisible – so they preserve the transparency of glass – but they glow when struck by ultraviolet and near-untraviolet light.

Smart glass could be shaped into optical fibers

The process can produce glass of any shape, including optical fiber, and was created using a two-stage melting process. The researchers envision the technology being used in medical imaging applications and 3-dimensional displays. The technique could be used to examine the status of individual cells in the body, bypassing the traditional luminescent dye processes used today.

The idea of using photosensitive nanoparticles isn’t new, but the production technique has been vastly improved using the new method. Prior to this, glass nanoparticles had to be created inside molten glass, which led to an uneven distribution of the desirable particles. Using the new technique, the glass nanoparticles are developed in a separate process, then added to the molten glass in a carefully controlled production process. That allows the researchers to control the distribution of the glass nanoparticles, and results in a more even (and more useful) distribution in the finished product.

The research team refers to the resulting material as a hybrid glass, and allows researchers to make a major step forward in the development of “smart glass” applications. Additionally, they believe that the two-stage approach to this glass hybrid could be used with other particles that could give glass embedded photonic, electronic or magnetic properties.

According to project leader Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heideprem, Deputy Director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, “We are heading towards a whole new world of hybrid glass and devices for light-based technologies.”

Glassprimer™ glass paint won’t make glass glow, but it does offer the ability to bring virtually any color to glass. It also offers unparalleled UV-protection, and can create translucent or frosted glass for about $1.00 per square foot. Glassprimer™ glass paint offers superior resistance to solar heat gain, as well as an excellent solution for sites where privacy is desired or required without interfering with natural light transmission.

If you’re looking for inspiration for decorating with glass, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Jon, via Flickr.com