Flat Glass Research Articles

Megahertz multi-parametric ophthalmic OCT system for whole eye imaging

An ultrahigh-speed, wide-field OCT system for the imaging of anterior, posterior, and ocular biometers is crucial for obtaining comprehensive ocular parameters and quantifying ocular pathology size. Here, we demonstrate a multi-parametric ophthalmic OCT system with a speed of up to 1 MHz for wide-field imaging of the retina and 50 kHz for anterior chamber and ocular biometric measurement. A spectrum correction algorithm is proposed to ensure the accurate pairing of adjacent A-lines and elevate the A-scan speed from 500 kHz to 1 MHz for retinal imaging. A registration method employing position feedback signals was introduced, reducing pixel offsets between forward and reverse galvanometer scanning by 2.3 times. Experimental validation on glass sheets and the human eye confirms feasibility and efficacy. Meanwhile, we propose a revised formula to determine the “true” fundus size using all-axial length parameters from different fields of view. The efficient algorithms and compact design enhance system compatibility with clinical requirements, showing promise for widespread commercialization.

Depletion-Induced Self-Assembly of Colloidal Particles on a Solid Substrate.

We investigate the depletion contributions to the self-assembly of microcolloids on solid substrates. The assembly is driven by the exclusion of nanoparticles and nonadsorbing polymers from the depletion zone between the microcolloids in the liquid and the underlying substrate. The model system consists of 1 μm polystyrene particles that we deposit on a flat glass slab in an electrolyte solution. Using polystyrene nanoparticles and poly(acrylic acid) polymers as depleting agents, we demonstrate in our experiments that nanoparticle concentrations of 0.5% (w/v) support well-ordered packing of microcolloids on glass, while the presence of polymers leads to irregular aggregate deposition structures. A mixture of nanoparticles and polymers enhances the formation of colloidal aggregate and particulate surface coverage compared to using the polymers alone as a depletion agent. Moreover, tuning the polymer ionization state from pH 4 to 9 modifies the polymer conformational state and radius of gyration, which in turn alters the microcolloid deposition from compact multilayers to flocculated structures. Our study provides entropic strategies for manipulating particulate assembly on substrates from dispersed to continuous coatings.

Polarity-driven distribution of the non-aqueous tear components during microdesiccation on flat glass surfaces

Spontaneous desiccation of microvolumes of tear from a healthy subject on flat glass surfaces produces highly reproducible supramolecular structures called tear microdesiccate. In the process, non-aqueous tear components organize four main radially distributed morphological domains (zones I, II, III, and transition band or TB) through non-well understood mechanisms. Tear lipids have been located in the outermost domains (ZI, TB), thus suggesting that tear components in microdesiccate are partitioned according to electric polarities. Using a combination of dark-field and contrast phase transmitted-light microscopy, we have now studied the impact on preformed tear microdesiccate of a series of six small-sized monohydric alcohols (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, n-pentanol, 2-propanol; C1 through I-C3) ranked according to polarity index (P.I. 0.762–0.546). Water (P.I. 1.000) served as control. The study aimed to assess the influence of the electric polarity of the alcohols on the organization of the microdesiccate domains.The study revealed self-assembly as a mechanism underlying formation of the entire microdesiccate as shown by the fully disruptive effect of water on preformed tear microdesiccate and their reorganization following a new desiccation cycle. Devastating effects of the most polar alcohol in the assay (methanol) were observed particularly on the centermost domain (zone III), and secondarily on zone II. Contrarily, the less polar alcohols (C2 to C5) showed both fixative effects on crystalloids of ZII and ZIII and differential unveiling of filamentous structures in ZI and TB probably due to selective extraction of lipid-like components from these latter two domains. Those effects on microdesiccate from different subjects were highly reproducible, thus supporting the view that these tear specimens bear a common design.Microdesiccates from normal tears produced on flat glass surfaces are self-assembled structures based on a design including a radial gradient of charge polarities spanning from the lipid-rich outermost hydrophobic domain (ZI) to the centermost hydrophilic fern-like crystalloid-rich domain (ZIII).

H-Glass Supported Hybrid Gold Nano-Islands for Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution.

Flat panel reactors, coated with photocatalytic materials, offer a sustainable approach for the commercial production of hydrogen (H2) with zero carbon footprint. Despite this, achieving high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency with these reactors is still a significant challenge due to the low utilization efficiency of solar light and rapid charge recombination. Herein, hybrid gold nano-islands (HGNIs) are developed on transparent glass support to improve the STH efficiency. Plasmonic HGNIs are grown on an in-house developed active glass sheet composed of sodium aluminum phosphosilicate oxide glass (H-glass) using the thermal dewetting method at 550°C under an ambient atmosphere. HGNIs with various oxidation states (Au0, Au+, and Au-) and multiple interfaces are obtained due to the diffusion of the elements from the glass structure, which also facilitates the lifetime of the hot electron to be ≈2.94ps. H-glass-supported HGNIs demonstrate significant STH conversion efficiency of 0.6%, without any sacrificial agents, via water dissociation. This study unveils the specific role of H-glass-supported HGNIs in facilitating light-driven chemical conversions, offering new avenues for the development of high-performance photocatalysts in various chemical conversion reactions for large-scale commercial applications.

Does silver leach into foods exposed to silver utensils? A preliminary study with selected Indian traditional foods

Although silver is not listed as a nutrient in regulations, silver is consumed through various sources of dietary ingredients. The practice of covering certain food items with silver foils and consuming foods in a silver plate or silver glass are known. Traditional knowledge documents the number of benefits of silver to humans. Preliminary experiments were conducted to determine if silver gets leached into few traditional foods in contact with silver plate/glass were undertaken and we report the results in this article.

The Effect of Damages on Modal Frequencies of Flat Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyurethane Foam Sandwich Structures

The Effect of Damages on Modal Frequencies of Flat Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyurethane Foam Sandwich Structures

Laser-Induced Selective Metallization on Polyimide Films for Fabrication of Antennas

Laser direct structuring (LDS) technology used for polyimide (PI) films containing copper dichromate as the activator for antenna circuits was evaluated. The polyamic solutions containing various contents (1 to 10 phr) of copper dichromate were spread on a glass sheet. Then, the solvent was evaporated and imidated to obtain the PI films containing LDS activator. The near-infrared laser was used to scan the sieving and contrast patterns of the LDS PI films, and then the electrochemical copper was plated. The experiment results indicated that a copper dichromate content of 7 phr exhibited satisfactory quality for the fabrication of the antenna circuits. The comparison results of simulation and measurement from the constructed antenna circuits confirmed that the antenna circuits with the LDS PI film with a width of 50 μm operated appropriately.

Experimental Study on the Adhesion of Abalone to Surfaces with Different Morphologies.

To date, research on abalone adhesion has primarily analyzed the organism's adhesion to smooth surfaces, with few studies on adhesion to non-smooth surfaces. The present study examined the surface morphology of the abalone's abdominal foot, followed by measuring the adhesive force of the abalone on a smooth force measuring plate and five force measuring plates with different surface morphologies. Next, the adhesion mechanism of the abdominal foot was analyzed. The findings indicated that the abdominal foot of the abalone features numerous stripe-shaped folds on its surface. The adhesion of the abalone to a fine frosted glass plate, a coarse frosted glass plate, and a quadrangular conical glass plate was not significantly different from that on a smooth glass plate. However, the organism's adhesion to a small lattice pit glass plate and block pattern glass plate was significantly different. The abalone could effectively adhere to the surface of the block pattern glass plate using the elasticity of its abdominal foot during adhesion but experienced difficulty in completely adhering to the surface of the quadrangular conical glass plate. The abdominal foot used its elasticity to form an independent sucker system with each small lattice pit, significantly improving adhesion to the small lattice pit glass plate. The elasticity of the abalone's abdominal foot created difficulty in handling slight morphological size changes in roughness, resulting in no significant differences in its adhesion to the smooth glass plate.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Bioscaffold Using Hydroxyapatite and Unsaturated Polyester Resin.

Outstanding biodegradability and biocompatibility are attributes associated with particular polyester substances that make this group useful in specific biomedical fields. To assess the potential as a biomaterial, a novel composite consisting of hydroxyapatite (HAp) and unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) was developed in this work. Using a hand-lay-up technique, various percentages (50, 40, 30, 20, and 10%) of HAp were reinforced into the UPR matrix to fabricate composite materials out of glass sheets. Prior to processing of the composite samples, hydroxyapatite was chemically synthesized in a wet chemical manner. Using a universal testing machine (UTM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), the fabricated samples were characterized. The crystallographic parameters of synthesized hydroxyapatite (HAp) were also estimated through a range of formulas. The optimal amount for hydroxyapatite was 40% according to the findings of the tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), percentage of elongation at break (EB), bending strength (BS), and bending modulus (BM). Improvements in TS, TM, BS, and BM for the ideal combination were 39.39, 9.21, 912.05, and 259.96%, in each case, over the controlled one. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) has been implemented to determine the degradation temperature of the fabricated composites up to 600 °C.

Study of NIR long afterglow luminescent materials are used in silicon solar cells to produce electricity under dark condition

It is well known that the silicon solar cells can realize effective photoelectric conversion only under sunlight irradiation, and that can not generate electricity under dark condition. Thus, the effective working (photoelectric conversion) time of silicon solar cells throughout the whole day is very limited. In this paper, the up-conversion NIR long afterglow luminescent materials, Zn3Ga2-x-y-zGe2O10:xCr3+,yYb3+,zEr3+, were successfully prepared through high temperature calcination method. The structure, morphology, elemental composition and optical property of the prepared samples were analyzed by a series of characterization methods. In addition, the mechanisms of afterglow luminescent of these materials and the energy transfer mechanisms of up-conversion luminescent between the luminescent center Cr3+ and sensitizer ions (Yb3+ and Er3+) are discussed, respectively. Finally, the prepared luminescent materials are fixed on glass sheets with reflective capacity, and then are integrated with silicon solar cells in the form of a cover plate. And then, under dark conditions, the current density-voltage (J-V) curves and current density-time (J-T) curves of these silicon solar cells were tested to explore the influences of doping proportions of Cr3+, Yb3+, Er3+, Yb3+-Er3+ pairs and the calcination temperatures of Zn3Ga2-xGe2O10:xCr3+ on the power generation of the silicon solar cells. The results show that the photovoltaic conversion instantaneous efficiency of silicon solar cell with Zn3Ga1.975Ge2O10:1.0Cr3+,1.0 Yb3+,0.5Er3+ reaches the maximum value of 2.549 % under dark condition. The average efficiency within 300 s is 0.238%. At the same time, the silicon solar cell can generate dark current for up to 8.0 h, whose maximum dark current density and open-circuit voltage of 4.88 μA/cm2 and 0.914 mV, respectively. It is hoped that this study can provide some new ideas for silicon solar cells to generate electricity without sunlight irradiation.

Innovative laser-assisted glass bending approaches using a near-infrared continuous wave laser

Limited research has been conducted on laser glass bending, with only a few studies to date. In 2008, a CO2 continuous-wave (CW) laser experiment achieved a maximum bending angle of 24° for a 10 mm wide and 150 µm thick glass sheet. However, challenges persisted in bending thicker and wider glass sheets while reducing permanent material accumulation along the bending axis. In this study, we present a novel approach using a near-infrared CW laser operating at a wavelength of 1070 nm and with a maximum power of 500 W, successfully bending glass with varying thicknesses and widths. Notably, we achieved bending angles of 30°, 60°, and even 90° on soda-lime glass (550 µm thick) and borosilicate glass (1000 µm thick). By integrating an inventive laser bending configuration alongside a complementary scanning strategy, we effectively overcame the challenge of persistent material accumulation during plastic deformation along the bending axis. This advancement enabled us to directly bend 1 mm thick, 13 mm wide borosilicate glass, resulting in a minimal thickness increase of approximately 10 % at a 30-degree bending angle. Furthermore, this approach optimally utilizes laser energy, requiring less than one-third of the laser power typically utilized by existing configurations. Remarkably, we achieved an impressive expansion in the bendable glass width, reaching 25 mm, by implementing a configuration with dual-beam mix processing. This study advances the potential applicability of laser glass bending technology, increasing its possibilities for industries such as manufacturing, optics, and electronics that require curved glass applications.

Assessment of CO2 Co-benefits of Air Pollution Control Policies in Taiyuan's 14th Five-Year Plan

To quantitatively evaluate the co-benefits of air pollution reduction and carbon dioxide reduction of Taiyuan's 14th Five-Year Plan air pollution prevention and control policies, this study used the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Greenhouse Gas-Air Pollution Interaction and Synergy Model (GAINS-JJJ) to simulate and evaluate the emission reduction potential and CO2 co-benefit of 13 air pollution control measures. The emission reductions of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NOx, VOCs, and NH3 in 2025 were 1.8 (5%, compared with that in the baseline scenario), 2.5 (2%), 3.7 (16%), 20.0 (27%), 13.6 (15%), and 0.0 kt (0%), respectively. The reduction in CO2 emissions was 9.0 Mt (13%), whereas CH4 emissions increased by 203.3 kt (25% increase relative to that in the baseline scenario). SO2, NOx, and VOCs emission reductions derived from the power, industrial combustion, and solvent use sectors. CO2 reduction occurred mainly in the industrial combustion sector, and CH4 emission increased mainly due to the increase in coal mining activity. The highest synergistic CO2 reductions were achieved by restricting energy consumption in the high energy-consuming and high-emitting sectors; prohibiting new capacity in the steel, coke, cement, and flat glass industries; and replacing coal-fired power generation with renewable energy. Furthermore, the CO2 reduction co-benefit was highest for VOCs. In addition, this study suggests that promoting the policy of terminal electrification and simultaneously increasing the share of clean energy and the ability to consume renewable energy generation in the power sector are the keys to decreasing the emissions in Taiyuan.

Study on the effect of annealing rate on the impact resistance of the H-ZLaF50 vehicle plate glass

The H-ZLaF50 glass has attracted much attention in the field of automotive glass applications due to its excellent mechanical properties. The effect of the annealing rate on the impact resistance of the H-ZLaF50 glass was studied. High-precision infrared stress meter was used to test the stress distribution of glass under different annealing rates and the influence of annealing rate on the stress distribution was found. Secondly, the impact resistance of the H-ZLaF50 glass samples was evaluated by the test method of electric falling ball impact resistance. The maximum impact energy of the H-ZLaF50 glass samples was 0.120 J. The results show that, compared with other annealing rates, the annealing rate of 1°C/min effectively improves the impact resistance of the H-ZLaF50 glass, which makes it more widely used in the automotive flat glass market.

Performance analysis of a novel façade-based building integrated photovoltaic-thermal system with phase change material for domestic hot water

Since the current contribution of solar thermal energy to the amount of energy consumed for domestic hot water in buildings worldwide is very low (8.4 %, approximately), the potential of this renewable energy to meet the demand for domestic hot water is quite significant. In this context, this paper presents a new façade-based building integrated photovoltaic-thermal system with phase change material which has been patented recently. It is a modular device for installation on façades and roofs, enabling the production of domestic hot water and electricity using solar energy. The main novelty of the system lies in the use of a photovoltaic glass sheet, which improves the building’s aesthetics and facilitates the architectural integration of this type of devices. Thus, a photovoltaic glass is used for the production of electricity, a phase change material for heat storage and a water-phase change material exchanger for the production of domestic hot water. The design and verification stages of the system were developed for a case study under typical usage conditions. Two dimensional numerical models of five different configurations (of the energy harvesting and storage module and two dimensional and three dimensional numerical models of the finned exchanger were carried out to simulate the charge and discharge processes. The most suitable configuration of the system, characterised by a 12 mm vacuum gap and a low emissivity of the absorber, was able to meet the requirements in terms of water flow rate and supply temperature (45 °C) for a shower time of 5 min.

Crystallization of piezoceramic films on glass via flash lamp annealing

Integration of thin-film oxide piezoelectrics on glass is imperative for the next generation of transparent electronics to attain sensing and actuating functions. However, their crystallization temperature (above 650 °C) is incompatible with most glasses. We developed a flash lamp process for the growth of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate films. The process enables crystallization on various types of glasses in a few seconds only. The functional properties of these films are comparable to the films processed with standard rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. A surface haptic device was fabricated with a 1 μm-thick film (piezoelectric e33,f of −5 C m−2). Its ultrasonic surface deflection reached 1.5 μm at 60 V, sufficient for its use in surface rendering applications. This flash lamp annealing process is compatible with large glass sheets and roll-to-roll processing and has the potential to significantly expand the applications of piezoelectric devices on glass.

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Nanostructures on Glass Surfaces Using Hydrogen Fluoride Gas.

Water-repellent glass surfaces have become increasingly important to ensure clear visibility in outdoor cameras, sensors, and automotive windows. In this study, we investigated a process for the formation of nanoscale structures on a glass surface using chemical reactions with hydrogen fluoride gas. Using this approach, nanostructures with superhydrophobicity, superhydrophilicity, and antireflective properties were formed on glass surfaces with minimal processing time. This mask-free method, working at atmospheric pressure, can be efficiently integrated within the float process, a mainstream manufacturing technique for flat glass, to introduce nanostructures onto the glass surface. Notably, after treatment with (1-H, 1-H, 2-H, 2-H-tridecafluorooctyl)trimethoxysilane (FAS-13), a typical hydrophobic agent, the resulting surface exhibited a maximum water contact angle of 162°. Owing to its low reflectivity and superhydrophobicity, this surface is anticipated to find applications in not only the design of architectural window glass and vehicle windows but also the development of solar panels and sensor cover glass for autonomous vehicles.

High Friction of Paper Wipers in Partially Wet Conditions: Effect of Three-dimensional Nonuniform Wetting

In wet paper wiper, three-dimensional nonuniform wetting may occur and affect frictional behavior. This study aims to clarify the frictional behavior of wet paper wiper in order to develop guidelines for controlling the frictional behavior of similar products such as clothing and sponges. Friction tests were conducted between a paper wiper and a flat glass while varying the water content of the paper wiper. The friction coefficient reached a maximum at a certain water content depending on the normal load and sliding velocity conditions. This high-friction effect may be attributed to meniscus formation at the contact interface and inside the paper wiper specimen, because the negative pressure due to the meniscus can promote the expansion of the real contact area.

Parasitic Reflection Eliminating for Planar Elements Based on Multi-Frequency Phase-Shifting in Phase Measuring Deflectometry.

Phase measuring deflectometry (PMD) stands as an extremely important technique for specular surface measurement. However, the parasitic reflection from the rear surface poses a challenge for PMD. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an effective method based on multi-frequency and phase-shifting to search for the correct phase. Firstly, the relationship between the phase error and fringe frequency is adequately investigated. Subsequently, an auxiliary function is established to find the special frequency at which the phase error is zero theoretically and the unwrapped phase is the phase of the top surface exactly. Then, the shape of the top surface can be reconstructed correctly. A standard plane element with a thickness of 40 mm and a flat glass with 19 mm were measured. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed method. Considering the result of the interferometer as a reference, the RMSE of the error map is up to 20 nm for the standard plane element. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can successfully untangle the superposed reflections and reliably reconstruct the top surface of the object under test.

Environmental performance of patient rooms using an integrated approach considering operational energy, daylight and comfort analysis

PurposeThe aim is to holistically assess the environmental performance of windows and analyse how their design and characteristics contribute to the overall performance of the building/space. This study focuses on the performance of windows in patient rooms hosting less mobile people.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the life cycle environmental impacts of different glazing types, window frames and fire safety doors at the product level. This article also presents a building-integrated environmental analysis of patient rooms that considers the multiple functionalities of windows by incorporating dynamic energy analysis, comfort and daylighting performance with a life cycle assessment (LCA) study.FindingsThe results indicate that the amount of flat glass is the main contributor to the environmental impacts of the glazing units. As for the patient rooms, global warming shows the most significant contribution to the environmental costs, followed by human toxicity, particulate matter formation and eutrophication. The key drivers for these impacts are production processes and operational energy use. This study highlights the significance of evaluating a wide range of criteria for assessing the performance of windows.Originality/valueAn integrated assessment approach is used to investigate the influence of windows on environmental performance by considering the link between window/design parameters and their effects on energy use/costs, daylighting, comfort and environmental impacts. The embodied impacts of different building elements and the influence of various design parameters on environmental performance are assessed and compared. The environmental costs are expressed as an external environmental cost (euro).

Effectiveness of poly(methyl methacrylate) spray encapsulation for perovskite solar cells

For commercial applications, Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) need to be well encapsulated to improve long term stability. The most common method, glass-glass encapsulation, uses edge sealant materials to encapsulate the device between sheets of glass. Glass-Glass encapsulation, while providing provide adequate protection from the ambient environment, limits the use of flexible substrates for thin film solar cells due to its rigidity. Additionally, the added weight of glass encapsulation reduces the specific power (W kg−1) of PSCs, which is an important factor when designing solar cells for aerospace applications. Here we demonstrate that commercially available acrylic spray encapsulation offers efficient and robust stability for PSCs. It is shown that applying the encapsulation via this method does not degrade the PSCs, unlike other literature and glass-glass encapsulation methods. Additionaly, it is shown that 1 coat of acrylic spray encapsulation has an effective thickness of ∼1.77 µm and a weight of ∼6 mg. For stability measurements, PSCs with an acrylic coating show a 4% increase in performance after ∼730 h under dark storage conditions and retain 88% of their initial power conversion efficiency after 288 h under 85% relative humidity 25 °C. We anticipate our assay to be a starting point for further studies into spray encapsulation materials and methods not just for terrestial applications, but for aerospace applications as well.