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Is glass a solid after all?

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Is glass a solid after all?

Is glass a solid after all?

For years, scientists have argued about the nature of glass, since it has characteristics of both a liquid and a solid. The molecular structure of glass is unlike any other solid. The molecular structure of every other solid is organized in a specific, orderly way; the molecular structure of glass is completely random. In fact, if liquid glass molecules were able to organize in the same orderly way as every other solid, the resultant substance wouldn’t be glass.

Now some scientists are looking at hardened glass in a different way, and that allows them to reach the conclusion that hardened glass is, in fact, a solid. Molecules in liquids flow easily over each other. They have no specific order. One of the traditionally accepted reasons that glass “can’t be” a solid is that without that ordered molecular structure, cooled glass molecules continue to “flow” just as liquid molecules would do.

Cooled glass molecules don’t flow easily, like they do when they’re heated. They move almost imperceptibly, but they do move. Researchers at the University of Bristol and Kyoto University worked together to model the movement of glass molecules at very low temperatures.

They discovered that at extremely low temperatures, the molecules in glass organize themselves in geometric shapes – not quite the crystalline structure that characterizes all other solids – but they did organize into a predictable pattern. They also determined that given enough time in the right conditions, the geometric patterns would grow to encompass all regions of the glass. At that point, the material would be considered a true solid.

The solid nature of glass was actually predicted by a researcher at the University of Bristol in 1952, but at the time, the theory was impossible to prove. Advances in microscopy and computer modeling allowed the research team to confirm the 64-year-old theory.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used in both interior and exterior applications and can help reduce solar heat gain in some applications. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: frankeleon, via Flickr.com

Raining glass: no place like home

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Raining glass: no place like home

Raining glass: no place like home

We’ve seen stories about falling glass and unexpected glass breakage, but the Hubble Telescope has captured something we’ve never contemplated: glass rain. University of Arizona astronomers were gazing upon a relatively new exoplanet about 160 light years from Earth. The exoplanet, 2M1207b, is huge – between four and five times the size of Jupiter.

Atmosphere generates liquid glass

Like Jupiter, 2M1207b is a gaseous planet. It’s unimaginably hot – somewhere between 2,200° F and 2,600° F to be exact (or as exact as you can be from this distance.) The good news is that it rains on 2M1207b. The bad news is that the average rainstorm lays down molten iron in the lower atmosphere. In the upper atmosphere, a rainstorm generates glass.

2M1207b is actually the first exoplanet to have been imaged directly by the Hubble Space Telescope. The initial images of the planet were taken in 2004 and it’s been studied ever since. The planet is giving off so much heat because it’s so new; it’s still contracting, and will likely do so for millions of years. Astronomers point out that Jupiter and Saturn are still contracting, even though they are much older than 2M1207b. The fact that it is throwing so much heat also makes it easier to see and study.

NASA has found more than 2,000 exoplanets using the Hubble Telescope. In addition to being the first directly imaged exoplanet, it was also the first exoplanet found orbiting a brown dwarf – a type of failed star.

No one’s going to be calling 2M1207b home anytime soon, but exoplanets like this give astronomers some clues about what may have happened during the formation of our own planet and solar system.

Fortunately, we have much better control over glass production here at home than what you’ll find on 2M1207b. Decorating with glass is also much easier with Glassprimer™ glass paint. Glassprimer™ glass paint is designed to make a permanent bond with glass surfaces, and offers superior UV protection for at least 10 years.

No umbrella in the world will help you with the glass storms on 2M1207b, but if you’re looking for ways to decorate with glass here on Earth, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: European Southern Observatory

German researchers make liquid glass

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German researchers make liquid glass

German researchers make liquid glass

On the surface, liquid glass doesn’t seem like a major advance. After all, during the standard glass-making process, the silica mixture is molten. In its molten state, the glass mixture is about 2,700° F. Molten glass is shaped, and then cooled to achieve its hardened structure.

Liquid glass hybrid reduces to solid glass

German researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have developed a free-flowing glass-plastic hybrid material that can be formed at room temperature. Once formed, the material can be cured using light. The cured solid can be heated and compressed to remove the plastic. The remaining object is chemically and structurally identical to commercial glass.

Soft molds can be made of any object using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The molds can then be used to shape the liquid glass. Engineers can use this process to make rapid prototypes of objects from glass. The process isn’t limited to making large objects. Scientists can also make complex objects measured in micrometers using this glass prototyping process.

The nanostructure of glass is what allows specially engineered coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint to work. Glassprimer™ glass paint is designed to alter the nanosurface of glass, creating a permanent bond with the glass structure. As a glass coating, Glassprimer™ is highly UV-resistant, which means it won’t fade or delaminate, even in direct sunlight.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is also guaranteed to last for years when applied according to the warranty instructions. Glassprimer™ glass paint can be used safely in tough environments like kitchens and bathrooms. It’s also durable enough to be used in commercial decorating applications.

Glassprimer glass paint can be color-matched to any major paint manufacturer’s color palette, which means you can use Glassprimer™ glass paint on glass and Plexiglas™ surfaces, and be confident that it will match the latex paints on your walls and ceilings.

If you’d like more information about decorating with Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Dave, via Flickr.com