Thin Glass Research Articles

Optical Multisensor System Based on Lanthanide(III) Complexes as Near-Infrared Light Sources for Analysis of Milk

Optical multisensor systems are easy-to-use and inexpensive analytical devices. In this work, we propose an optical multisensor system based on the luminescence of Nd(III) and Yb(III) complexes in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region. The observed emission bands play the role of secondary light sources for further analysis of milk—for the determination of fat content and for the recognition of adulteration. The samples for analysis were prepared by putting a drop of milk upon a thin glass covering the powdered mixture of lanthanide complexes, which were excited by a light-emitting diode (LED) in the ultraviolet region (the maximum intensity at 365 nm). The diffuse-reflectance spectra of samples were acquired in the short-wave NIR range 750–1100 nm using a portable NIR spectrometer. The developed optical system was tested using two sets of milk samples with varying concentration levels of fat and added urea. The obtained spectral data were analyzed using a number of multivariate prediction and classification methods of chemometrics and the results were statistically compared. The regression and classification model performances achieved in this proof-of-concept study illustrate the feasibility of the optical multisensor analysis based on luminescent light sources in the short-wave NIR range, in particular, for their application in the dairy.

All angle polarization-independent photonic spin Hall effect

The photonic spin Hall effect (PSHE) is inherently a polarization-dependent phenomenon of incident light. In this work, the Spin-Orbit coupling of light-led PSHE has been manipulated to vanish its polarization dependency for all incident angles. This work demonstrates that the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) polarized PSHE will remain the same; (δ±H=δ±V) for any plane-polarized incident wave at any incident angle. Equal absolute Fresnel reflection coefficients (rs=rp) and their equal angular derivatives ∂rp/∂θi and ∂rs/∂θi are the underlying conditions for polarization-independent PSHE (PI-PSHE), which is achieved from the reflected light through a glass-metal (Ag, Au, or Al) thin film interface. Furthermore, the provided assembly of the planar metal-dielectric interface allows for controlling the device's characteristic size in an extensive range from 0.1λ to any bulk size, just by adjusting the thickness of the covered thin glass layer. We believe that our findings will pave the way for the development of new polarization-independent nano-photonic devices.

Experimental Investigation of Integrated Energy Storage on Thermal Performance Enhancement of Evacuated Glass-Thermal Absorber Tube Collector (EGATC) for Air Heating Application

Thermal energy storage (TES) in solar thermal application assist to increase the performance and efficiency of the solar thermal collector system. Various technique has been developed to enhance TES performance such as using water and PCM as energy storage material. Type of material selection and design arrangement also contribute to the performance of solar thermal collector. The aim of this research is to enhance the thermal performance of energy storage on Evacuated Glass-Thermal Absorber Tube Collector (EGATC) for air heating application. The performance study has been conducted to measure the outlet temperature and energy storage rates as per indoor setup under the artificial solar radiation on the effect of parameters such as inner absorber surface area air contact (perforated fins), outer absorber selective coating surface, outer absorber wall thickness, double layer non vacuum glass tube, single layer transparent outer glass tube and single layer thin film inner glass tube. The results showed that the performance of temperature outlet, energy store and energy buffer increase at wind speed 0.9 m/s, zero (0) perforated fin, non-coating outer absorber and 2mm outer absorber wall thickness. It was also demonstrated that a double layer vacuum glass tube showed a better thermal performance enhancement compared with double layer non-vacuum glass tube, single layer transparent outer glass tube and single layer thin film inner glass tube. This concluded that EGATC performance can be increase with those respective parameters.

Whole blood analysis for medical diagnostics by GC-MS with Cold EI.

This study covers a new method and related instrumentation for whole blood analysis for medical diagnostics. Two‐μL whole blood samples were collected using “minimal invasive” diabetes lancet and placed on a thin glass rod mounted on a newly designed BloodProbe. The BloodProbe with the whole blood sample was inserted directly into a ChromatoProbe mounted on the GC inlet, and thus, no sample preparation was involved. The analysis was performed within 10 min using a GC‐MS with Cold EI that is based on interfacing GC and MS with supersonic molecular beams (SMB) along with electron ionization of vibrationally cold sample compounds in the SMB (hence the name Cold EI). Our blood analysis revealed several observations: (1) Detailed mass chromatograms were generated with full range of all the nonpolar lipids in blood including fatty acids, cholesterol, cholesteryl esters, vitamin E, monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides. (2) The analysis of whole blood was found to be as informative as the conventional clinical analysis of blood serum. (3) Cholesteryl esters were more sensitive than free cholesterol alone to the effect of diet of obese people. (4) Major enhancement of several fatty acid methyl esters was found in the blood of a cancer patient with liver dysfunction. (5) Vitamin E as both α‐ and β‐tocopherol was found with person‐dependent ratio of these two compounds. (6) Elemental sulfur S8 was identified in blood. (7) Several drugs and other compounds were found and need further study of their correlation to medical issues.

Phytochemical Study of Iraqi Cydonia oblonga Miller Fruit

Quince (Cydonia oblonga) fruit has a lot of phytochemicals that draw the attention of many researchers nowadays for its important medicinal values. This study concerns the identification and isolation of two flavonoids (Astragalin) flavonol glycoside and (Isorhamnetin) from fruit ethyl acetate extract of Iraqi cultivated Cydonia oblonga. The identification was carried out by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis techniques. The yield of isolated compound was (1.6 and 1.3 %) for astragalin and isorhamnetin, respectively. This was achieved by using preparative thin layer chromatography glass plate (20×20) cm. This is followed by structure elucidation of isolated compounds through fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet (UV), nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13CNMR). analysis procedures.

High-temperature malleable Ta-Co metallic glass developed by combinatorial method

Development of metallic thin films with comprehensive properties fulfilling the needs of modern Micro/Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (M/NEMS) devices remains challenging. Here, a fully amorphous Ta90Co10 is screened out by combinatorial sputtering and atomic manufacturing technique, and the Ta90Co10 thin film metallic glass exhibits simultaneously a super-high crystallization temperature of 1325 K, a high hardness of 16.3 GPa, a high strength of 5000 MPa, and a large plastic strain exceeding 50%, outperforming all existing thin film materials. The excellent properties can be attributed to the atomic-scale structural heterogeneity induced by formation of different configurations in amorphous structure. The present work provides an approach to develop new M/NEMS-based thin film materials with outstanding comprehensive properties.

Design Base for a Frameless Glass Structure Using Structural PVB Interlayers and Stainless-Steel Fittings

Minimizing metallic primary structures in directly glazed grid shells is key to increasing transparency. Complete renunciation to a substructure results in the glass itself bearing the loads, with thin glass shells, for example, that support loads mainly via membrane forces. A 4.20 m tall, double-curved, frame-less modular glass shell with stainless steel fittings laminated into the thin interstice of two-ply laminated safety glass has been developed and built as a demonstrator to validate the concept. The fittings used to structurally join the glass modules transfer all translation loads and provide a certain rotational stiffness. They are geometrically designed to reduce stress peaks inside the laminate and feature a laminated contact surface at the edge of the glass. For lamination, an interlayer stack was applied comprising exterior layers of structural PVB to bond the fitting with the glass and translucent PVB as interior core layer for aesthetic reasons. The design of this structure initially relied on generic values for designing and finite element modelling of the fitting-interlayer bond, particularly in tensile “pull-out” mode. The present paper undertakes a review of basic interlayer stack data with regards to viscoelastic properties and adhesion, and the engineering hypotheses using recent preliminary fitting test results for various loading schemes (bending, shear, tensile).

Investigations on the Cold Bending Behaviour of a Double Glazing Unit with a Rigid Edge-Spacer Frame

Free-form façades with bent glass are becoming increasingly popular. As bending glass provides it with a better resistance to out-of-plane loads, it can result in thinner glass. A promising new technique is to cold bend thin glass plates with a stiff structural edge into a hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar), and to subsequently lock the corners to create a self-contained, self-stressed system. In this study, the bending process of specially-fabricated double glazing units (‘panels’) is investigated with a focus on a local instability phenomenon. The hypothesis that this instability is affected by edge stiffness of the plate, is tested by using 30x30 mm GFRP profiles as spacers along the perimeter of the glass. These were bonded to the glass using Dow 993 silicone adhesive. Four 1.5x1.5 m panels were produced in total, three with 4mm fully toughened (FT) glass, and one with 1.1 mm chemically toughened (CT) glass. The panels were cold bent in a series of laboratory experiments. A numerical model was developed to provide further insight on the mechanical response and to predict the outcome of the experiments. With the sizes of panels used it was not possible to form a hypar. Due to the small thickness of the glass, one the diagonals would always straighten when cold-bent. The 4 mm FT panels failed when the bottom plate fractured at a corner displacement of around 150 mm and a total load of 2.6 kN. The bottom plate of the CT 1.1 mm was also the first to fracture, at a corner displacement of 120 mm and a total load of 1.4 kN. The top and bottom plates came into contact in the centre of the plate when the corner displacement was around 50 mm for the FT 4 mm panels, and around 30 mm for the CT 1.1 mm panel. The numerical model predicted this contact and the overall behaviour of the panel up to a corner displacement of 60 mm. It was concluded that the glass was too thin to create a hypar with this panel size. The experimental data generated along with the numerical model are useful for future research and developments.

Integrated connections for glass–plastic-composite panels: an experimental study under tensile loading at +23, +40 and +60 °C and different glass build-ups

The desire of builders and architects of maximum transparency and homogeneous surfaces in glass façades and glass structures extends to interior all-glass applications such as glass partitions or all-glass doors. In conventional glass systems the interconnections are performed by eye-catching fittings and clamping details that reduce the transparency and disturb the aesthetics. Novel glass–plastic-composite panels show a significantly reduced self-weight by composition of a polymer polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) interlayer core and cover layers of thin glass. The innovative composites show high structural performance with optical properties of conventional glass. The panels allow for a direct connection into the thick PMMA interlayer core with the supporting structure or other panels. Such an integrated connection design reduces stress concentrations and allows for the development of small and unobtrusive fittings. Different integrated connections for the glass–plastic-composite panels have been designed and investigated. This article presents an experimental study on different connections, such as mechanically fastened and adhesively integrated, tested under tensile loading. Based on video analyses, crack progressions and failure mechanisms are evaluated and discussed in detail. The tests investigate temperature effects as well as the influence of the interlayer core thickness and glass type of the cover layers in varying build-ups. The comprehensive evaluation includes a description of the mechanical load-bearing behaviour in form of load versus displacement graphs as well as an investigation of crack progression and failure mechanisms for the final assessment. The results from this experimental study elucidate the structural characteristics of integrated connections in glass–plastic-composite panels under tensile loading and represent a basis for the ongoing development of real application fittings.

Ultrathin picoscale white light interferometer

White light interferometry is a well established technique with diverse precision applications, however, the conventional interferometers such as Michelson, Mach-Zehnder or Linnik are large in size, demand tedious alignment for obtaining white light fringes, require noise-isolation techniques to achieve sub-nanometric stability and importantly, exhibit unbalanced dispersion causing uncertainty in absolute zero delay reference. Here, we demonstrate an ultrathin white light interferometer enabling picometer resolution by exploiting the wavefront division of a broadband incoherent light beam after transmission through a pair of micrometer thin identical glass plates. Spatial overlap between the two diffracted split wavefronts readily produce high-contrast and stable white light fringes, with unambiguous reference to absolute zero path-delay position. The colored fringes evolve when one of the ultrathin plates is rotated to tune the interferometer with picometric resolution over tens of μm range. Our theoretical analysis validates formation of fringes and highlights self-calibration of the interferometer for picoscale measurements. We demonstrate measurement of coherence length of several broadband incoherent sources as small as a few micrometer with picoscale resolution. Furthermore, we propose a versatile double-pass configuration using the ultrathin interferometer enabling a sample cavity for additional applications in probing dynamical properties of matter.

Effect of structural relaxation at bellow crystallization temperature on internal stress of Ni–Nb–Zr thin film amorphous alloys diaphragm for micro electromechanical systems sensors

In this paper, the effect of structural relaxation at temperatures below crystallization on internal stress of Ni–Nb–Zr thin film amorphous alloy (including thin film metallic glass: TFMG) diaphragms was investigated. We fabiricated the Ni–Nb–Zr diaphragm samples with four compositions. Before fabrication of diaphragm structure by etching, Ni–Nb–Zr thin films on Si substrate were annealed at a temperature below crystallization (473, 523, and 573 K) for structural relaxation. By performing bulge tests on annealed Ni–Nb–Zr diaphragms, we were able to determine their mechanical properties. As the result, Young’s modulus of all samples increased slightly with increasing annealing temperature because of the decrease of the free volumes during structural relaxation. Based on the results of internal stress, structural relaxation of all samples occurred below 473 K. Moreover, the effects of annealing temperature on internal stress differed by compositions. They were thought to be caused by the rate of structural relaxation.

Enhanced Mechanical, Thermal and Electrical Properties of High‐Entropy HfMoNbTaTiVWZr Thin Film Metallic Glass and its Nitrides

The inception of high‐entropy alloy promises to push the boundaries for new alloy design with unprecedented properties. This work reports entropy stabilisation of an octonary refractory, HfMoNbTaTiVWZr, high‐entropy thin film metallic glass, and derived nitride films. The thin film metallic glass exhibited exceptional ductility of ≈60% strain without fracture and compression strength of 3 GPa in micro‐compression, due to the presence of high density and strength of bonds. The thin film metallic glass shows thermal stability up to 750 °C and resistance to Ar‐ion irradiation. Nitriding during film deposition of HfMoNbTaTiVWZr thin film of strong nitride forming refractory elements results in deposition of nanocrystalline nitride films with compressive strength, hardness, and thermal stability of up to 10 GPa, 18.7 GPa, and 950 °C, respectively. The high amount of lattice distortion in the nitride films leads to its insulating behaviour with electrical conductivity as low as 200 S cm−1 in the as‐deposited film. The design and exceptional properties of the thin film metallic glass and derived nitride films may open up new avenues of development of bulk metallic glasses and the application of refractory‐based high entropy thin films in structural and functional applications.

Preview the Products on Display at Display Week 2022

Preview the Products on Display at Display Week 2022

Flexible Sensors for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection: A Critical Review.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a common chemical used in many industries and can be found in various biological environments, water, and air. Yet, H2O2 in a certain range of concentrations can be hazardous and toxic. Therefore, it is crucial to determine its concentration at different conditions for safety and diagnostic purposes. This review provides an insight about different types of sensors that have been developed for detection of H2O2. Their flexibility, stability, cost, detection limit, manufacturing, and challenges in their applications have been compared. More specifically the advantages and disadvantages of various flexible substrates that have been utilized for the design of H2O2 sensors were discussed. These substrates include carbonaceous substrates (e.g., reduced graphene oxide films, carbon cloth, carbon, and graphene fibers), polymeric substrates, paper, thin glass, and silicon wafers. Many of these substrates are often decorated with nanostructures composed of Pt, Au, Ag, MnO2, Fe3O4, or a conductive polymer to enhance the performance of sensors. The impact of these nanostructures on the sensing performance of resulting flexible H2O2 sensors has been reviewed in detail. In summary, the detection limits of these sensors are within the range of 100 nM-1 mM, which makes them potentially, but not necessarily, suitable for applications in health, food, and environmental monitoring. However, the required sample volume, cost, ease of manufacturing, and stability are often neglected compared to other detection parameters, which hinders sensors' real-world application. Future perspectives on how to address some of the substrate limitations and examples of application-driven sensors are also discussed.

Modeling of ion exchange in glass considering large viscoelastic deformation and mechano–electrochemical coupling

AbstractThis work proposes a theoretical description of ion exchange in glass involving mechano–electrochemical coupling, distinct from the previous models. The generalized Maxwell viscoelastic constitutive relation and large‐deformation formulae are employed, which is indispensable for thin glass panels widely used in consumer electronics. With the theory, two‐dimensional numerical simulations based on axisymmetric and plan‐strain models are conducted. The numerical results signify lateral deformation in a double‐side ion‐exchanged glass and bending caused by single‐side or electric‐field‐assisted ion exchange. With the decrease in glass thickness, the increase in time, or applied electric potential, these deformations become more significant, leading to the relief of in‐plane stresses in the ion‐exchanged layer and the increase in stresses in other parts. This could lead to a remarkable decrease in fracture strength or cracking of an ultrathin glass panel. As the stress and diffusion are coupled, the decrease in stress in the ion‐exchanged layer leads to the increase in the depth of layer of invading ions. These numerical results clearly show the necessity to incorporate the mechano–electrochemical coupling and large deformation in modeling ion exchange, which is uninvolved in previous theoretical models. Moreover, the proposed theoretical model is directly extendable to three‐dimensional scenarios, such as curved or foldable ultrathin glass panels.

Structural characterisation of Cu-Zr thin film combinatorial libraries with synchrotron radiation at the limit of crystallinity

We report for the first-time combinatorial synthesis of thin film metallic glass libraries via magnetron co-sputtering at the limit of crystallinity. Special care was taken to prepare extremely pure CuZr films (1–2 µm thickness) with large compositional gradients (Cu18.2Zr81.8 to Cu74.8Zr25.2) on X-ray transparent polymer substrates in high-vacuum conditions. Combined mapping of atomic structure (synchrotron radiation) and chemical composition (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy) revealed that over the entire composition range, covering multiple renowned glass formers, two phases are present in the film. Our high-resolution Synchrotron approach identified the two phases as: untextured amorphous Cu51Zr14 (cluster size 1.3 nm) and textured, nanocrystalline α-Zr (grain size 1–5 nm). Real space HR-STEM analyses of a representative composition substantiate our XRD results. Determined cluster and grain sizes are below the resolution limit of conventional laboratory-scale X-ray diffractometers. The presented phase mixture is not permitted in the Cu-Zr phase diagram and contrary to existing literature. The phase ratio follows a linear trend with amorphous films on the Cu-rich side and increasing amounts of α-Zr with increasing Zr content. While cluster size and composition of the amorphous phase remain constant thorough the compositional gradient, crystallite size and texture of the nanocrystalline α-Zr change as a function of Zr content.

Novel fabrication technique for high-resolution spherical crystal analyzers using a microporous aluminium base.

Modern inelastic X-ray spectrometers employ curved, bent and diced analyzers to capture sufficiently large solid angles of radially emitted scattered radiation emanating from the sample. Fabricating these intricate analyzers, especially when a high energy resolution of a few millielectronvolts is required, is very time-consuming, expensive and often a hit-or-miss affair. A novel fabrication technique is introduced, utilizing a concave-spherical, microporous aluminium base to hold an assembly of a thin glass substrate with a diced crystal wafer bonded to it. Under uniform vacuum forces, the glass substrate is drawn into the aluminium base, achieving the desired bending radius, while dicing of the diffracting crystal layer prevents bending strain from being imposed on the individual crystal pixels. This technique eliminates the need for permanently bonding the crystal assembly to the concave lens, offering the opportunity for correcting figure errors, avoiding long-term degradation of the permanent bond, and making both lens and crystal reusable. Process and material costs are thus substantially decreased. Two analyzers, Si(844) and Ge(337) with intrinsic resolutions of 14.6 meV and 36.5 meV, respectively, were produced in this fashion and characterized in resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) measurements. The achieved overall energy resolutions for both analyzers were 29.4 meV for Si(844) and 56.6 meV for Ge(337). Although the RIXS technique is veru sensitive to analyzer imperfections, the analyzers were found to be equal, if not superior, in quality to their traditional, permanently bonded counterparts.

External-cavity laser diode using acousto-optic deflector as tunable grating.

In this study, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, external-cavity laser diode (ECLD) without a diffraction grating is proposed and demonstrated. In the proposed configuration, an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) acts not only as a deflector but also as a diffraction grating. Thus, the AOD functions as a wavelength-selective device, which helps improve the overall performance of the ECLD. In fact, the proposed configuration realizes a wide range of wavelength scanning with a simple configuration, highly efficient optical feedback, and a steady optical resonator with a constant cavity length. We confirm that the wavelengths scanned with the proposed ECLD agree well with theoretical calculations. The scanning range and maximum frequency response reached approximately 60 nm and 50 kHz, respectively. Moreover, reproducible measurements of the three-dimensional thickness distribution of a thin glass plate indicates that the proposed ECLD can be used for optical coherence tomography imaging systems.

Rapid formation of high aspect ratio through holes in thin glass substrates using an engineered, QCW laser approach

Rapid formation of high aspect ratio through holes in thin glass substrates using an engineered, QCW laser approach

Evaluation of Cr-based thin film metallic glass as a potential replacement of PVD chromium coating on plastic mold surface

In this article, a CrCoNbB thin film metallic glass (TFMG) is fabricated by DC power magnetron sputtering. Its microstructure, surface properties, mechanical properties and thermal stability are characterized. Results are compared with sputter-deposited chromium (Cr) coating which is an industrial popular choice of hard coating by physical vapor deposition (PVD). We obtained a fully amorphous Cr48Co31Nb7B14 TFMG with glass transition (Tg) and crystallization (Tx) temperatures at 530 °C and 615 °C, respectively. Nanoindentation revealed that Cr48Co31Nb7B14 TFMG has significantly lower surface roughness and higher hardness than Cr. Also, in nano-scratch test with normal load applied between 0.5 mN ~ 9 mN, Cr48Co31Nb7B14 TFMG has a lower coefficient of friction (CoF) than Cr. Annealing the TFMG above Tg at 550 °C for 60 min showed no sign of crystallization, implying excellent thermal stability. Contact angle analysis also revealed that the TFMG has very low surface free energy (SFE), specifically a low polar component. We also discovered that spreading of molten low-density polyethylene (LDPE) on Cr48Co31Nb7B14 TFMG is weaker than on Cr film as a consequence of its low SFE. In summary, Cr48Co31Nb7B14 TFMG has advantages such as high hardness and thermal stability, low roughness, friction and surface energy compared to PVD Cr coating. Low adhesion to molten LDPE also suggests its potential in applications such as injection mold coating where lower friction and higher wear resistance is preferred.