Special Glass and Glass-Ceramic as Materials of the Future

The special glass manufacturer SCHOTT will demonstrate the versatility of the materials glass and glass-ceramic at DGM Werkstoffwoche in Dresden from September 14 – 17, 2015. Highlights at the SCHOTT booth (#82) are the NEXTREMA® glass-ceramic family for use in high- temperature applications, as well as tubing, rods and capillaries for various technical applications. Both product groups offer product developers not only special functionality, but also new design options.

The NEXTREMA® glass-ceramic combines the advantages of technical glass (high transmission, resistant, non-porous surfaces, and the possibility of cost-effective production of large plate formats) with outstanding thermal properties. Thermal resistance up to 950° C and endurance of thermal shocks of up to 800° C are thus possible. NEXTREMA® is available in six different versions, which differ not only in terms of their color impression, but also their technical characteristics. In addition, they come in a wide variety of material thickness ranging from 2 mm to 8 mm. The sum of the technical characteristics together with the six colors enables engineers and designers alike to develop and realize new product ideas, such as infrared applications, high-temperature furnaces or grills.

The second highlight that SCHOTT will showcase at DGM Werkstoffwoche is its portfolio of tubing, rods and capillaries with different wall thicknesses and inner diameters for use in technical applications. They can be made from 60 different types of glass and can be additionally enhanced by applying special coatings, for example. Among other products, SCHOTT will be presenting its oval glass tubes made of CONTURAX® borosilicate glass for photobioreactors that accelerate the growth of algae quite significantly.

In another example, DURAN® glass tubing from SCHOTT allows for 360° camera technology to be used for online streaming. Panoramic videos can now be transmitted in real time. The new camera technology is used for television science programs, at concerts, sporting events and trade shows. These are just two of many possible applications where technical glass can enable innovative solutions.