From Caltech and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs comes a new kind of glass that has both the strength and toughness of steel. In fact, this glass is stronger and tougher than steel, or any known material.
The new glass is made of palladium and silver with small fractions of metalloids. The addition of these metals allows the glass to withstand enormous amounts of pressure and strain. However, the cost of palladium is very high, making this glass impractical for large scale applications such as planes or cars.
A smaller application with a need for strong materials is dentistry. Marios Demetriou, a professor at Caltech and lead author of the paper on the new metallic glass, says:
Owing to its superior damage tolerance, the present palladium glass can be thought of as a superior alternative to conventional palladium dental alloys. Plus, the absence of any elements considered toxic or allergenic—nickel, copper, aluminum—from the composition of this alloy will likely promote good biological compatibility.
