Sapphire Glass

Q:

Sapphire glass is a type of artificially synthesized corundum gemstone, mainly composed of alumina (Al2O3). It can easily and economically produce gem grade sapphires in the laboratory, with the same chemical composition and physical properties as natural sapphires.

Sapphire glass is commonly used to manufacture transparent parts of watch mirrors, mobile phone screens, or other consumer products due to its high hardness and transparency. Sapphire glass has a high hardness, up to level 9 Mohs hardness, thus possessing strong wear resistance. Although it is not easily worn out, sapphire glass still cannot withstand strong impacts and may be scratched by substances with the same or higher hardness

Q:

1、 Laser technology

Sapphire glass is currently one of the main materials for producing lasers. By refracting light inside sapphire glass, high-energy lasers can be generated and are often used in medical, material processing, and research laboratories.

2、 Aerospace field

Sapphire glass is widely used in various instruments on satellites due to its high hardness and high-temperature stability. For example, sapphire glass can be used to make satellite windows that can withstand high-intensity radiation and high temperature environments in space.

3、 Watches and phone screens

Sapphire glass has high transparency and hardness, so it is often used as a protective material for watch surfaces and mobile phone screens, which can effectively protect the body from scratches and wear.

4、 Medical field

Sapphire glass is also widely used in the medical field. For example, it can be used to make blades for surgical knives, which, due to their high hardness and sharpness, can accurately and quickly cut tissue.

5、 Electronic industry

The application of sapphire glass in the electronics industry is becoming increasingly widespread. For example, it can be used to make substrates for photodiodes to improve their stability and efficiency

Q:

Although sapphire glass has high hardness and scratch resistance, its crystal structure makes it prone to breakage or fragmentation when subjected to impact or pressure. The brittleness of sapphire glass makes it less suitable for situations that require high impact or mechanical stress, and it is also difficult and expensive to process. Therefore, when using sapphire glass products, careful protection is necessary to avoid impact and scratches

Q:

Compared to other types of glass or transparent materials, sapphire glass has a higher production cost. The process of growing and synthesizing sapphire crystals is complex and time-consuming, involving precise control of high temperature, specialized equipment, and growth conditions, which increases production costs. Therefore, sapphire glass is often more expensive than traditional glass or other transparent materials, making it less cost-effective in certain applications

Although sapphire glass has extremely high hardness, it is relatively brittle compared to other materials such as tempered glass. Under certain conditions, sapphire glass is prone to breakage or fragmentation, especially when subjected to significant impact or pressure. This brittleness makes sapphire glass more susceptible to damage in certain applications involving high impact or mechanical stress.

Compared to other materials, sapphire glass is more difficult to process. It is a crystalline material that requires specialized cutting, grinding, and polishing techniques, which may be more time-consuming and expensive. In addition, sapphire glass is difficult to bond or bond, which may limit its use in certain applications that require bonding or sealing.

Due to the challenge of growing large and thick sapphire crystals, the size and thickness of sapphire glass are relatively limited. Compared to traditional glass, sapphire glass typically has smaller dimensions and thinner thickness, which may not be suitable for certain applications that require larger or thicker glass components

Sapphire glass has a higher density than traditional glass, which means it can be heavier for a given size and thickness. This may be a disadvantage in weight sensitive applications or in designing lightweight devices, where the weight of sapphire glass may need to be considered

Sapphire glass has a relatively high refractive index, and without an appropriate anti reflective (AR) coating, it may cause significant reflection on its surface. This may lead to unnecessary reflections or glare in certain applications, such as displays or optical lenses, which may require additional AR coatings to alleviate this issue