Invention Reference Number
Traditional glasses are essential in modern society but are prone to brittle fracture, limiting their use in demanding applications. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a new class of bulk ionic glasses with enhanced ductility and ionic conductivity. These materials combine the desirable properties of traditional glass with improved resistance to cracking, offering potential advantages in energy storage, optics, and structural applications.
Description
Glasses are widely used in technologies ranging from windows and displays to advanced batteries, but brittleness remains a fundamental challenge. ORNL researchers have created a new series of bulk ionic glasses that overcome this limitation by incorporating structural features that allow deformation under stress while maintaining stability. Unlike earlier materials that could only be produced in thin films, these glasses can be processed in bulk form using scalable manufacturing techniques. The result is a unique glass family with mechanical toughness comparable to specialized thin-film glasses but with the additional benefit of ionic conductivity. This combination enables their use in areas where fracture resistance and ion transport are critical. The versatility of the material design also allows for property tuning, expanding the range of potential applications across multiple industries.
Benefits
- Enhanced resistance to fracture compared to traditional glasses
- Combination of ductility with ionic conductivity
- Scalable processing methods suitable for bulk manufacturing
- Versatile material platform adaptable to different property requirements
Applications and Industries
- Solid-state batteries and energy storage devices
- Optical components requiring high durability
- Protective coatings and structural glass materials
- Electronics and display technologies
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
