Gorilla Glass?

Just wondering weather anyone has looked into Corning's "Gorilla Glass"?

Its the glass they use in iPhones and the like and would like to know where to get it from in Aus for a lens glass.

Thanks in advance.

Can you even buy individual pieces anywhere in the world, let alone Australia? All I've ever seen were finished products using it.

It's expensive, brittle, and likely overkill. Besides, you can already get sapphire windows.

righto, so whats this sapphire glass your talking about???

Slazmo said:

righto, so whats this sapphire glass your talking about???

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Clear synthetic corundum ( it is sapphire, not "glass" ) ... very hard and tough, used for watch crystals ( among other purposes ) .

Gorilla Glass is a different compound (alkali-aluminosilicate, instead of aluminum oxide).

Structurally, sapphire is crystalline, but glass is amorphous (and usually silica-based).

oh ok, I've got two Seiko watches with Sapphire crystal lenses... I guess if you could get it pre cut and its clarity is right it shouldnt be a problem, seems like the iPhone 4 has its fair share with shattered screens...

Been looking into http://www.flashlightlens.com/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=ucl_lens this stuff however unsure about its overall strength against knocks and scratches?

Slazmo said:

oh ok, I've got two Seiko watches with Sapphire crystal lenses... I guess if you could get it pre cut and its clarity is right it shouldnt be a problem, seems like the iPhone 4 has its fair share with shattered screens...

Been looking into http://www.flashlightlens.com/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=ucl_lens this stuff however unsure about its overall strength against knocks and scratches?

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I phone 4 no longer use gorilla glass, apple went for cheaper china alternative.
Steve job wouldn't do such thing had he being still alive, after all, he was the reason Corning commercialized the Gorilla glass.

Lots of Android phones (e.g., Samsung, HTC) are using Gorilla Glass afaik, so for Apple to be going a different direction there might be a technical and/or commercial (supply chain) reason to it, might not necessary be because it is cheaper.

Back on topic, I would like to replace some of the Lexan lens on my Surefire with sapphire crystal, can someone point me to a reliable source please?

My brother is a senior engineer at Corning, and told me a lot about Gorilla Glass recently. Its primary characteristic is that it is more flexible than other glass. Well, maybe that's not the right description. It can bend more without fracturing. It's still quite stiff (maybe even stiffer than other glasses).

Knowing a little about the manufacturing process (courtesy of my brother), I can say pretty confidently that you'll never see, much less get your hands on Gorilla Glass in thicknesses other than the fairly thin ones used in smart phones, unless some huge industry needs Gorilla Glass in a different thickness.

I don't know that much about abrasion reistance, but it seems that sapphire would be better in this respect, being much harder than glass. Anyone care to offer a more informed opinion?

DIWdiver said:

Anyone care to offer a more informed opinion?

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Nope, but sure as hell going to listen in on this thread!

Thought about lexan - it scratches when cleaned in the field...

Thought about tempered glass - but it shatters into pieces when dropped and cant find it in the right thickness...

Looked up Sapphire - cant find it anywhere in Aus, because were at the *** end of space!

So I am basically looking at glass of some sort, just for strength and scratch resistance and optical transparency - and yes I am thinking of a security window film on it for strength...

Can't find it in Australia... why not buy from overseas? That's where most of my stuff is coming from.

yeh have looked for suppliers however cant find any. And it's gotto be pre cut in specifics also, doubt anyone will do that?

Also not sure about posting glass - with the way the planes fly and handlers play hot potato with parcels I doubt it'll make it to Aus undamaged lol...

Every company I've bought from has been smart enough to use enough bubble wrap, foam peanuts, newspaper and so on for padding. The flashlight windows I've bought have been no exception. Glass is actually remarkably strong, just it's incredibly brittle as well. Ceramics are worse, and I've also safely brought in ceramics from overseas, again it's all in the padding.

As for suppliers:
http://www.ofrei.com/page714.html

I've had mixed results with O/S senders, just my last parcel with 3 synchronous motors were placed in some bubble wrap and some pieced of foam put in for effect. Looks like the Chinese played hake sack with the box as it was kicked in on all sides lol...

Went to that link, however biggest glass they have is 32mm dia, the 2D Mag takes 50 - 52mm dia, so I'm wayyyy off. Thanks anyhow!

ma_sha1 said:

I phone 4 no longer use gorilla glass, apple went for cheaper china alternative.
Steve job wouldn't do such thing had he being still alive, after all, he was the reason Corning commercialized the Gorilla glass.

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I don't recall apple going with corning gorilla glass ever and the Late Steve announced his miraculous new age technology Glass when he was launching the iphone 4 2 years ago so he never actually went for the good products.

Slazmo said:

righto, so whats this sapphire glass your talking about???

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Don (McGizmo) uses sapphire on all his flashlights and they are wonderfull

Don (McGizmo) uses sapphire on all his flashlights and they are wonderfull [/QUOTE]

I dont deny it, however they just dont make it in my diameter I require...

for reference as well, the iphone 4 keynote where steve jobs was introducing the new iphone back in 2010,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BOwdylUIOrM#t=531s
the video is set at the time they talk about the new glass they developed (Apple) and if you scroll back after viewing this video you will see Steve talking about the iphone

jalal20 said:

I don't recall apple going with corning gorilla glass ever

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You can read the gorilla glass history & how it went into I Phone here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla_Glass

Edmund Optics carries sapphire lenses but be prepared for $$$$.

Check out edmundsoptics.com

Have you considered Pyrex? (Borosilicate)