There are now types of glass that can self-heal after breaking.
Have you ever thought about fixing a cracked phone screen or a broken beer glass yourself by simply pressing the pieces back together?
This may soon become a reality after a Japanese researcher developed a new type of glass that can be reassembled after being cracked or shattered.
According to AFP, Yu Yanagisawa, a chemist at the University of Tokyo, accidentally created this groundbreaking material while researching adhesives that could be used on wet surfaces.
In one experiment, Yanagisawa broke a piece of glass in half, then pressed the cross-sections of the two shards together for about 30 seconds until the glass returned to almost its original shape.
To test the durability of the newly "joined" piece of glass, he tried hanging a full bottle of water from it. The result was that the glass remained intact.
The self-healing glass discovered by chemist Yu Yanagisawa - Photo taken from a video clip.
This piece of glass is a type of organic glass, made from a substance called...polyether thioureas, a type closer to acrylic glass than mineral glass, is commonly used to make phone screens.
While other scientists had previously demonstrated the "self-healing" properties of materials like rubber or thick adhesives, Yu Yanagisawa was the first to prove the concept of "self-healing" glass.
This discovery paves the way for the creation of ultra-durable glass that could triple the lifespan of products such as car windows, aquariums, and toilets.
