Just saw a video on Superfest glass, which used ion exchange to produce stronger glass. The process was developed by Corning at about the same time. While there was a ready market in DDR for #Superfest, there wasn't much market for either in the West. Superfest closed in the early 1990s, and Corning shelved their product, until smartphone manufacturers came looking for tougher screens. #MaterialScience#Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superfest
In a context of increasing #greenwashing where companies often claim sustainability without backing it up, the need for genuinely sustainable materials and composites to be aesthetically pleasing is paramount.
If you have a smartphone, you likely have a #corundum (#sapphire) window covering the camera and making it nearly scratch-proof.
Corundum has been produced commercially since the late 1850's (as an abrasive). Only in the last decade or so have large, optically transparent windows been commercially affordable.
Scientists have produced an oxide glass with unprecedented toughness. Under high pressures and temperatures, they succeeded in paracrystallizing an aluminosilicate glass: The resulting crystal-like structures cause the glass to withstand very high stresses and are retained under ambient conditions.
I was not expecting Sellotape to make me ponder the definition of “plastic” today. But my departmental stationary cupboard has “zero plastic sellotape” (similar to Scotch tape, if you’re from the USA).
Plant-based things can be made non-biodegradable, bamboo fabric being the obvious eg - it’s rayon, which contribute to plastic marine waste & doesn’t decompose. And this “zero-plastic” tape will only compost in an industrial composter.
If it looks like plastic and quacks like plastic… #plastic
@steve I have had similar disappointments with home #composting, but one clear magazine-cover bag composted beautifully & seemed fine for protection. I asked at the time for details of the film & its producer but no info was forthcoming. I have been frustrated at the lack of real-world feedback & discussion. #CambridgeUniversity could usefully combine its #MaterialScience expertise with user experiments at scale...
In the refrigerated grocery store aisle, meat alternatives greatly outnumber plant-based seafoods. But more mock seafood options are needed because of unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, which can deplete the supply and harm the environment.
Scientists Invent New Glass With Supreme Toughness (scitechdaily.com)
Scientists have produced an oxide glass with unprecedented toughness. Under high pressures and temperatures, they succeeded in paracrystallizing an aluminosilicate glass: The resulting crystal-like structures cause the glass to withstand very high stresses and are retained under ambient conditions.
Researchers create 3D-printed vegan seafood (phys.org)
In the refrigerated grocery store aisle, meat alternatives greatly outnumber plant-based seafoods. But more mock seafood options are needed because of unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, which can deplete the supply and harm the environment.