Glass, though perceived as a simple material contributes significantly, to the advancement of society. It has provided transformative progress in diverse areas such as applications in diverse fields such as medicine, electronics, high speed communication, architecture and transportation.
Flexibility in the composition of glass enables its properties to be fine-tuned for a vast range of applications. At the heart of glass performance improvement however even though prior unknown, lies a key asset dating as far back as the 4th century, with the well-famed Lycurgus Cup - nanotechnology.
THE NECESSITY OF NANOTECHNOLOGY
The strength/toughness of a material, is a measure of the extent to which it can absorb energy and or be deformed, without fracturing. Even though glass is currently being reinforced with superficial treatments such as chemical coatings, the overall brittleness of the underlying glass itself, remains a matter that should be addressed with more surgical precision.
The necessity hence, is to create glass systems wherein, a desired (multi-)functionality isn't limited to a surface coating that can be scratched or weathered away with time upon exposure to the elements but rather, the glass product carries the functional features as an integral part of the glass composite.
To achieve this whilst reinforcing the glass system against fracture, ultrafine quantum-phase (i.e. sub 20 nm) nanomaterials are quite useful as they can be incorporated in minute doses, whilst proficiently delivering the necessary functionality under a broad spectrum of operational conditions.
NANO-INTERFACING WITH DUNE SAND
There is a global shortage of riverbed and beach sand, to meet the global demand for both the glass & construction industries. Riverbeds and beaches are being stripped bare, with farmlands & forests torn up to get the raw material.
Ecosystems are being destroyed out of lack of ingenuity, in a world with no shortage of desert sand, primarily considered “useless”.
Desert sand simply needs the right material interface, to make it viable. Quant-Ceramics offer the solutions to do just that.
BASELINE CHALLENGES
Silica is a key component in glass production because it determines the glass's strength, clarity, and colour. The purity and consistency of the silica sand used to make glass is vital to ensure the final product has the desired properties. Manufactured with the right (nano)additives, a Young's modulus of >70 GPa and flexural strength of >45 MPa are attainable in a glass produced from desert sand components.
The initial purity of silica is 52.1 wt% for desert sand, 39.3 wt% for river sand, and 35.8 wt% for sea sand.
Some desert sands can however contain over 90 wt% silica, making it melt at higher temperatures than sand with < 50 wt% silica content which can melt at temperatures below 1650 degrees celsius.
Desert sand however, is not typically used for glass manufacturing because of its rounded, smooth grains formed through wind erosion, which makes it difficult to bond the sand particles together, at the high temperatures needed to create glass.
NANOARC is a nanotechnology company, specialised in the design and manufacture of solutions, inspired by nature. What we understand from nature is this: there is micro-scale roughness, which most organisms and substances can adhere to, like velcro to a surface. Then, there is nanoscale roughness, so small, that most organisms and substances cannot adhere to such a surface.
Desert sand, is one of such surfaces with ultra-low nanoscale surface roughness.
THE QUANT-CERAMIC INTERFACE
Fundamentally, material bonding is driven more by van der waals atomic forces than physical interactions.
To bind desert sand, quantum materials with particle sizes close to the nanoscopic roughness of desert sand, to better “sense” at an atomic scale & act as a binding interface, to form stronger, clearer, high-performance glass, with desert sand.
The gecko foot has a dense array of nanoscopic filaments, that help it interface with van der waals forces and adhere to smooth surfaces, where other animals cannot.
Quant-Ceramic materials have ultra-high specific surface area to enable them interlock at an atomic scale with desert sand particle interfaces, mediating the binding process & reinforcing desert-sand glass materials in a manner which without them, would not be possible.
By virtue of chemical composition and crystal lattice architecture, Quant-ceramic nanoadditives offer functionality to glass, beyond mechanical strength such as effective anitpathogenic protection, UV protection, nuclear radiation attenuation, with visual transparency, thermal management and more.
GLASS NANO-CERAMICS
Depending on the size of the crystallites in relation to the wavelength of light, glass–ceramics can be designed to be either transparent (e.g., with nanoscale crystallites) or opaque (e.g., with micro-scale crystallites).
When it comes to reinforcing any material system, one must look to nature for essential design cues.
Nature always seeks to lower the energy required for any reaction or given event to occur. With this in mind, it is possible to play on this effect, to make it harder for a given process to initiate and propagate. In glass, that would be crack formation and propagation. When a load is applied to a material, it imparts a large amount of energy on the material, creating a situation wherein the material now needs to respond to this energy. Beyond the elastic limit, a brittle material such as a glass or ceramic would normally dissipate this energy through the formation of new surfaces e.g. through crack formation.
Glass–nanoceramics offer a versatile range of beneficial properties to enhance the fracture toughness glass. The physical presence of ultrafine, well dispersed nanocrystallites serve as prohibitors to crack propagation. This happens because whenever a propagating crack encounters a nanocrystal interface, the crack must either change its propagation direction to move around the nanocrystal or initiate a new crack through the crystallite phase itself.
However, when the nanocrystal is small enough to even limit the formation of a grain boundary within its crystal lattice, the probability of a fault site is all the more limited. Such a frustration to the natural process of things creates such a huge energy barrier that the formation of a path for crack propagation, leads to an energetically unfavourable scenario and fracture is limited or prohibited altogether.
HIGH STRENGTH AT LESS WEIGHT
For the propagation of a crack to be significantly limited around and within a nanoceramic crystal infused in glass (glass-nanoceramic), these fundamentals are essential:
A uniform and dense dispersion of the nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix is crucial
The nano-ceramic crystals need to be well below 20 nm in dimension, to minimise or prevent grain boundary formation within itself
The nano-ceramic crystal composition needs to confer versatile functionality e.g. chemical, optical, electrical properties to the glass that help it obtain and retain durability
A major challenge encountered during the preparation of glass-nanoceramic matrix nanocomposites, is the ability to achieve a homogeneous dispersion of nanocrystals, therein. Micrometer-sized clump agglomeration of in particular large nanoparticles (often > 30 nm in size) used in heavy loads tend to generate adverse effects on the thermal and mechanical properties of the glass, as a smaller number of reinforcing particles are present in other areas and aggregates may act as defect centers, which can act as crack initiators that lead to structural failure of the glass composite.
NANO-CERAMIC PARTICLE SIZE CONTROL MATTERS
By reducing nano-ceramic particle size well below 20 nm, one can influence the number of dislocations piled up at a grain boundary and enhance the yield strength of a nanoceramic i.e. the maximum stress the nano-ceramic crystal tolerates before deformation begins.
Distribute a significant amount of these within a glass matrix and one obtains a high density of reinforcement sites, within a glass matrix. This is easy with ultrafine nano-ceramic particles because the average number of them present within a unit volume of material increases exponentially, as the particle size reduces. e.g. a 1 um sized ceramic particle can be replaced by about a thousand 1 nm sized nanoceramic particles. This implies that with less volume and mass, a higher density distribution of nano-ceramic particles can be achieved within a glass matrix, at a significantly lower dose than obtained with micronised or even larger (> 20 nm) particles.
CHEMICALLY NANO-TEMPERED GLASS
Glass fracture inevitably has its origin at the nanoscale (i.e. bond breaking). Chemical tempering is a very effective method of improving strength via the incorporation of a high compressive stress in the surfaces of the glass. A topologically optimisation design of glass at the nanoscale level can be achieved, using nano-ceramic crystals of varying composition, in combination with the nano-ceramic crystal dimension benefits, to enable energy applied to a glass surface to be dissipated through localised densification around an indenter, rather than through crack formation within the glass itself.
With a core expertise in the design and manufacture of sub 20 nm sized nano-ceramic crystals, NANOARC is well positioned to help the glass industry push the envelope on glass performance in terms of chemical and structural durability. Being in the business of nano-polymorphism as part of a our nanomaterial design process, we make it possible for manufacturers to seamlessly adopt our products, without chemical compatibility concerns.
OUR SOLUTIONS
Our solutions consist of high surface area nanopowders with carefully chosen chemical compositions, strategically selected nanoparticle size to benefit from quantum effects and redefined crystal structure, to wield the strength of nanoarchitecture, for unique and heightened functionality.
With our atomically-architectured ultrafine nanopowders, we enable the development of high-performance glass systems with feature augmentations such as:
Enhanced optical transparency for improved microscopy and energy harvest
Tailored optical properties
Higher mechanical strength at lighter weight and low porosity
Enhanced thermal transport for energy conservation
Stain-resistance
UV filtering with transparency
Antimicrobial and anti-fungal protection without requiring photo-activation
Attenuation of ionising nuclear radiation
Our nanopowders are customized in both size and composition, for the seamless integration of their distinct and unique functionalities during the glass manufacturing process. The nanopowders also provide for durability as well as aesthetic preservation. Be the target application a set of solid-state laser components, smartphone or portable device screens, optical fibres, lenses for microscopes and cameras, wave guides or technically-demanding glass walls and solar panel windows.
PRODUCTS
Click on "BUY" next to the product(s) of interest to pay with a credit card or contact trade@nanoarc.org to request an invoice for payment via bank transfer.
USAGE : Add the nanopowder(s) at the desired dose to your glass blend, disperse thoroughly, then proceed as usual.
SUBSCRIPTION MODEL : GET DISCOUNTS & FREE SHIPPING OFF ADVANCE PURCHASES ON SELECT PRODUCTS below bulk order volumes
QUARTERLY ( 5 % ) | BI-ANNUALLY ( 10 % ) | ANNUALLY ( 15 % )
QG-M
HEAT RESISTANCE : Up to 2852 °C (5166 °F)
COLOUR : White Nanopowder
SURFACE AREA (BET) : 35930 m²/kg
REFRACTIVE INDEX : 1.71
DOSAGE : 0.005 - 0.007 wt % of glass blend (or as needed for designated applications)
APPLICATIONS : Helps decrease crystallization temperature and facilitates the phase transformation from β-quartz to β-spodumene in lithium-aluminosilicate glass-ceramics. Effective Antipathogen against bacteria, yeast and biofilm.
VIEW PRICING
QUANTITY | PRICE
25 grams (0.88 oz.) | £ 2,250
250 grams (8.81. oz) | £ 21,000
1 kg (2.2 lb) | £ 83,000
BULK ORDER RATES : From 1 Tonne | CONTACT trade@nanoarc.org
QG-C
NANOARCHITECTURE : Hollow Spherical Nanoparticles ( diameter < 25 nm)
SURFACE AREA (BET) : 38800 m²/kg
COLOUR : WHITE NANOPOWDER
REFRACTIVE INDEX : 1.59
HEAT RESISTANCE : Up to 1339 °C (2442°F)
DOSAGE : 0.003 - 0.005 wt % of glass blend (or as needed for designated applications)
APPLICATIONS : Stabilizer, nanofiller, flexural strength, fracture toughness, resist micro-crack propagation, helps to improve both the mechanical and chemical strength of glass body, reduce shrinkage resulting from firing.
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QUANTITY | PRICE
25 grams (0.88 oz.) | £ 2,000
250 grams (8.81 oz.) | £ 19,000
1 kg (2.2 lb) | £ 75,000
BULK ORDER RATES : From 1 Tonne | CONTACT trade@nanoarc.org
QG-I FLEX
NANOARCHITECTURE : Atomically Thin Sheets/Flakes ( < 1 nm Thickness)
SURFACE AREA (BET) : 63520 m²/kg
COLOUR : Bright Wihite Nanopowder
REFRACTIVE INDEX : 2.029
HEAT RESISTANCE : Up to 1975 °C (3587°F)
DOSAGE : 0.001 - 0.003 wt % of glass blend (or as needed for designated applications)
APPLICATIONS : Enhanced UV filtering, Antibacterial, Antifouling, Anticorrosion, porosity minimization, low thermal expansivity & enhanced mechanical (compressive & flexural) strength management, crevice nanofiller.
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QUANTITY | PRICE
25 grams (0.88 oz.) | £ 3,250
250 grams (8.81. oz) | £ 31,000
1kg (2.2 lb) | £ 123,000
BULK ORDER RATES : From 1 Tonne | CONTACT trade@nanoarc.org
QG-THERM
NANOARCHITECTURE : Atomically Thin Sheets/Flakes ( < 1 nm Thickness)
SURFACE AREA (BET) : 49550 m²/kg
HEAT RESISTANCE : Up to 1597 °C (2907 °F)
COLOUR : Black/Blackish-Brown Nanopowder
REFRACTIVE INDEX : 2.42
DOSAGE : As needed for designated applications
APPLICATIONS : Effective heat transport, gamma radiation shielding, absorption of Arsernic, heavy metals and antibiotic residue.
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QUANTITY | PRICE
25 grams (0.88 oz.) | £ 3,500
250 grams (8.81 oz.) | £ 34,000
1kg (2.2 lb) | £ 135,000
BULK ORDER RATES : From 1 Tonne | CONTACT trade@nanoarc.org
CERAM QUANT-NEUTRON
NANOARCHITECTURE : < 20 nm (0.02 um) nanoparticles
COLOUR : White Nanopowder
DOSAGE : 0.001 % or as needed for the nature of radiation exposure
HEAT RESISTANCE : Up to 2973 °C (5383 °F)
APPLICATIONS : Exhibits excellent thermal conductivity, and is hence an ideal choice for spacers in glass melting. Enables efficient heat transfer to ensure a uniform heating of glass products.
Helps lower the devitrification temperature of glass to facilitate melting. It reduces the viscosity of a glass at any given temperature, enabling an easier mix of components and allows bubbles to rise out of the glass. Added to glass, it results in a shatter-proof product, with low thermal expansion or contracting.
It can be used to offer ultrathin corrosion-resistant coatings, enhance neutron attenuation with a thin, see-through/transparent layer, heat shielding material for aerospace industry & nuclear power plants, rocket engine's components. High-speed cutting tools, transistors, plastic resin sealing desiccant polymer additives, high temperature lubricants, insulation, high-voltage high frequency electricity, plasma arc's insulators, high-frequency induction furnace materials, cooling components, high temperature catalyst, composite glass-ceramics.
VIEW PRICING
QUANTITY | PRICE
5 grams (0.17 oz.) | £ 7,000
50 grams (1.76 oz.) | £ 50,000
1kg (2.2 lb) | £ 949,810
BULK ORDER RATES : From 1 Tonne | CONTACT trade@nanoarc.org