Applied Science - 2014-08-07
I describe why glass fails, and how to improve its apparent strength via a simple chemical treatment. This process is used to create Gorilla Glass.
That was extremely well done.
At one time I was the supervisor of the chemical strengthening process in a glass plant, but our liquid potassium vat was large enough that we could strengthen glass up to 36x48 inches.
A few differences were that we kept the liquid potassium at 650C and we soaked the glass for about 8 hours in a batch process.
We also let it cool slowly once it finished the soak.
Unlike thermally tempered glass, chemical tempered glass can be cut like ordinary glass, however cutting the glass removed the temper along the length of the cut about an inch or so to each side of the score line. Also a deep scratch in the surface would also remove the temper along the scratch line as well.
We would test the process by weighing 1"x1" samples, soaking them in the bath, and then weighing them again after they cooled. We could compute the compression level by using the difference in weight between the samples before the bath (sodium) and after (potassium).
The balance that we used to weigh the samples was so sensitive that we could weigh a mosquito. We even weighed a mosquito wing one time.
If we ever need to rebuild civilization, I know I will swing by Ben's house and he'll just do it in a week or so.
Why are you up in all my smart things? D:<
... but only if he is not the one who destroyed it :)
seigeengine Sorry ;) I guess "smart things Youtube" is still too small a place.
Your nuts. That type of man knows he's too valuable to risk on strangers. You'll get within proximity and a 400W CO2 laser will grid pattern you to death, or he'll just shoot you in the chest or something less dramatic like that.
What's all that got to do with his nuts?
This channel is pretty much Mythbusters without the unnecessary tv BS. I love it. Great job.
i know this comment is old but i'm hoping you've seen adam & jamie's videos on "the glass age"!
Nice use of props for the explanation. Very effective.
Agreed. & Making Viable Claim to Tension Defect,. But torsion was observed. There was no determinate distinguishing otherwise. ...what of fiber glass? Hammers fare well?
That was a prop?
What's that sound...? That's the sound of Corning's corporate assassin helicopter.
Just discovered your channel. I'm a mechanic by trade (but by no means an engineer), so i really appreciate this content. No fussing about, just top notch craftsmanship and science. I tip my hat to you, you are exactly what a true engineer should be like.
Superb demonstration and explanation! FAR better (more concise and clearer) than my engineering and material science classes!
Similar effect as in prestressed reinforced concrete. I never saw this coming. Love your channel man!
The treated glass will resonate with a higher frequency when struck, so this could be used to measure how much substitution has taken place.
Perhaps substitution with caesium might enhance the effect, being a larger atom than potassium.
Interesting Ben - Like carbon entering into an iron lattice and creating steel. This silica glass you treated could be considered a metalloid alloy!
I absolutely love that the YouTube science channels are a community, and you occasionally comment on each other's videos.
Except that when making steel, it usually starts with "iron" with a high (>2%) carbon content. Carbon and other impurities get removed in the process of making steel. And other metals and maybe carbon get added, creating an alloy.
But all of this gets done with liquid metal, not with a solid piece.
If you would like to compare that to steel, then look up Carbonitriding.
OMG ITS FRAN
This video made me break out my old material science book from school and scan through a few topics. There is actually this exact 3 point loading system described in detail; to test the flexural strength of brittle ceramics. Interesting stuff. Had me reviewing defects, slip planes, fracture mechanics for the last hour or two. lol .. cool video.
That was fascinating!
As a retired glazier, I am impressed. I thought only heat could strengthen glass. I am old. ;-)
"Preloading it in compression" - soo, kinda like Prince Rupert's Drops? That's awesome.
It's basically exactly how tempered glass works. Cooling the outside rapidly shrinks it relative to the core. Then when the core cools, it tries to "suck in" the harder outer shell of glass and puts the core under tension and the outer shell under quite a bit of compression.
I'd be interested to see how this process worked on tempered glass, come to think of it.
in curious as to how sapphire behaves. it might be completely irrelevant but, maybe they share some properties? idk lol
I really dig your video production style. Simple, elegant and to the point of the subject. You truly involve the viewer and that is how the best kind of learning takes place. Thank you for doing this.
Always when I watch videos of this channel I feel like there should be way more like buttons on youtube...
I was listening to the glass lecture.... until I saw 70+ farads worth of capacitance in the background....
Lol. First table second shelf
You are an amazing teacher, my profs wave their hands wildly instead of cool examples like these
So complete and clear explaining!
I enjoy and learn from every video he made.
Much thanx again to Ben the man!
Its fantastic being able to hop on here and learn from experts like this! Cheers for uploading Ben
The key ingredient for toothpaste used for sensitive teeth is KNO3 too. It is used for filling up the very small tubules in the calcium material (dentine) that lead to the dental nerves. Obviously, it is used at room temperature, but I guess that it is just that KNO3 is especially good for filling up defects in hard materials like silicon and calcium compounds. Great video. Thank you.
Very good demonstration. Since the edges are the weakest point, it is important to start with glass that has a clean cut (no chips) or a machine finished edge to make the glass stronger.
Great video! I've recently started a post doc on an alternate way of strengthening glass, this was really helpful! Thanks! Keep up the amazing videos
Very interesting! Does this mean that if you treated only one side of the slide, it would bend?
Hi Rasmus SE, I had the same thought. Ben could you make a run trying to only treat one side of the glass. Cheers, Mark
Two points (which may or may wnot be pointless):
First: There is a superficial similarity between this process and case-hardening steel. In case hardening steel is packed with a carbon source (typically charcoal) and heated in an air-tight container to a temperature well below the steel’s melting point, infusing the surface with carbon to harden it. Making it stronger but more brittle.
Second: Whoever first discovered this technique was doing some seriously creative chemistry.
I saw a great demo on TV of the effect of defects in glass decades ago. Take about 4 inches of 1/4 inch (say) glass tube and heat it in the center and draw it until very fine. Then mount it in a couple of holes in a piece of wood such that the drawn section is bent 180 degrees. Such a thin piece of glass is very flexible and all is good. However on touching the outside of the bend in the glass with the edge of a feather it immediately shatters. The nascent drawn glass has few defects and the feather introduces some.
easy listening. great voice, well presented. bulk information. nothing to trim. cleanest channel on youtube :)
This guy is amazing. Looks like ha makes all kind of test fixtures. It looks like the cart in the background was homemade.
0:47-0:48
I still think that is the best part. Just the concern that is shown for safety. Like, it is only a glimpse and not forced into my face and demanded, but it just shows what you do and your precautions that you take.
It is a good way to talk kids into being more safer being that most kids rebel when it is insisted upon.
Intentional or not, many pros for that bit.
I wish this was used as an example in my mass transfer class. Would have made things very interesting! Thanks for the amazing work.
It's a great explanation how they produce toughened glass. Thanks for sharing.
These are EXCELLENT explanations. Nice work!
I love watching your videos. I learn so much.
Who else randomly got this in their recommended😂 I’m not complaining tho, this guy’s an OG
Awesome video. Nice to finally know how these stronger glasses actually work.
Greatly informative video! You always have the best projects, not in just the applications but also the explanations.
I saw you flinch! :) I am envious of your playground, and of your creativity and the things you build and test. Really good stuff sir. Bravo!
Your are surely The Man of Multiple Talents.
Awesome! I was hoping you would work on this one. I may have to use it for some of my own projects (the un-breakable beer bottle).
would like to see that!
Tiddly Penguin Cans can't really be reused easily.
Nick Moore - Beware, the "un-breakable beer bottle" will kill people! Beer bottles have a common use in bar fights - and a breaking bottle may prevent a skull injury. Also, it will soon be used as artillery projectile. Fill it with something cheap or heavy, like molten steel or uranium. The only reason not to use tungsten is that is so hard to melt it! And nuke tests will be done again soon! But physicists will be really happy!
Excellent Explanatory video !
Great Job !
I think this is one of the most interesting videos you made. (Maybe the most for me)
Probably I'm gonna use this method for my work.
Great job!
Keep it up!
You have great videos. I appreciate the depth to which you explain things. Thank you!
Very cool. Almost like "case hardening" for glass.
I would view this demonstration as pure Magic if it were not for Physics & Chemistry, still beyond all other considerations itz splendidly Magical! ;-)
Your channel is amazing, thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Just like pre tensioning concrete. Very interesting.
Very useful. I have a prototype project at work where making toughened glass is useful to me.
That's... honestly fascinating. I know most types of glass put in public places are (heat?) treated so that when they break, they do so into little cubes as to avoid sharp pieces that could potentially injure someone, but I never knew something like this was possible.
Great way of seeing the concepts I learn in class actually play out
Is that a huge capacitor bench I see on the left of the image? Is it for your YAG laser project?
Aside from that, it would be nice if, just for the sake of comparison, you weakened glass by ion exchange with a lithium salt!
Thanks for making those videos from you home laboratory (which I'm quite admirative of by the way!), you're one of the few youtube channels which provides actual scientific content that has not been completely dumbed down!
@francoisdastardly4405 - 2019-09-23
No stupid music, no fancy presentation, no pointless bla bla. Just 100% science. Pure gold !!
@breilly2750 - 2019-10-05
@spim randsley well...you're here, aren't you?
@breilly2750 - 2019-10-05
@spim randsley okay, then. You can go back your cartoons now and not learn anything.
I find these videos fascinating since I'm a professional in a completely different field and never had the chance to learn some of the science this channel explains.
I'm sure you can find a video on YouTube about how to wipe your own ass. Go find it.
@breilly2750 - 2019-10-05
@spim randsley yes, I'm pretending to dig a hole....but you're the one actually digging a hole. Don't go there.
You're comment was imbecile and that's all I needed.
@breilly2750 - 2019-10-05
@spim randsley You know, I was going to ask you the same thing.
I seriously would have loved to have been there when you realized that you needed to Google the word "imbecile".
Stop being an asshole.