What is sapphire crystal? Properties, comparisons and applications

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Everyone knows what glass is, and most know what sapphires are. Beautiful gemstones that are used to make jewelry. Well, what is sapphire glass, what is it for and what does it have to do with minerals?

Different kinds

There are three main varieties used in modern conditions: plexiglass or, as it is also called, plastic, as well as mineral and sapphire glass, although the first, in fact, is not one. In fact, of course, there are many more types, since various coatings, additives, etc. are used. Without some preparation, not everyone will be able to distinguish one variety from another, but for a specialist and just a person who has some experience working with glasses, this will not be great work.

Main properties of sapphire glass

Officially, this substance is called monocrystalline aluminum. Not nearly as pretty, is it? And in fact it is not glass at all, but a crystal. It has a very mediocre relation to sapphires, because we are not talking about natural stones, but those obtained in the laboratory. However, this does not detract from the excellent properties of thismaterial.

Firstly, it is extremely durable. It is quite difficult to scratch it with something other than a diamond, so it is not afraid of any scuffs and cloudiness. On the one hand, this prolongs the life of products, but on the other hand, it makes processing more difficult, which means it increases the cost of production. Secondly, this material has a beautiful glossy sheen and significant transparency. And thirdly, it is very fragile. Surprisingly, just like diamonds, sapphire glass is extremely hard and breaks easily, so it should be handled with care.

Application

First and foremost, of course, plexiglass, mineral or sapphire glass are used in the watch industry to protect the dial. But in the near future they say that they will also be used to cover the screens of smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices. The mineral variety has been in use for quite some time, but sapphire glass for watches and touch devices has been developed relatively recently. Of course, patent wars are already underway on this issue, and competitors are arguing which kind is still better. So, what is the difference between the two most common materials, and which one should you prefer?

Mineral or sapphire: comparative characteristics

They differ significantly in price, properties and prevalence. Both varieties have their advantages and disadvantages. And yet sapphireglass on watches has become more of a status symbol than a necessity, while mineral glass seems to be the lot of the middle class. Is it really so?

Sapphire glass is harder. Usually, according to the Mohs school, it is assigned a value of 9, while the mineral is content with a figure of 6.5. This means that any metal keys can damage it. On the other hand, sapphire coating can prevent this problem.

Mineral glass is less brittle. Unfortunately, the sapphire crystal is very easy to break, so it is not worth hitting the watch dial with a hammer. The latest developments and improvements in mineral glass have shown that it is 2.5 times more difficult to destroy it.

Sapphire crystal is thicker and heavier. For watches, this does not matter seriously, but for the screens of electronic devices, it still matters. The thinner the glass, the better the touch screen responds to touch. The mass of mineral glass is 1.6 times less than the analogue. The difference is small, but due to the desire for compactness, this can be an advantage.

Finally, the price. Sapphire glass is difficult to process, so the cost of its production is about 10 times higher than in the case of mineral glass. It takes more energy to make it, and the process is also quite environmentally unfriendly.

How to tell?

First of all, this can be done by marking sapphire glass or crystal glass. The latter refers to the mineral. If there are no markings or it is necessary to check, then find outwill have to use a series of experiments.

The easiest is to determine how quickly the glass heats up. Sapphire stays cold much longer than the mineral variety, but in this case it needs something to compare to.

Another way is to try to scratch the glass with something metallic. Sapphire will not give in, but a scratch may remain on the mineral. In addition, so many new technologies for the manufacture of organic glasses have recently appeared that their hardness has increased significantly, so even this test may not help. Another type of check is also not very accurate, but it can be useful. It is necessary to drop a little water on the glass and tilt the surface. From organic glass, the liquid will easily slide off, and to sapphire glass, especially with an anti-reflective coating, it seems to stick, keeping its shape.

In any case, the marking of the last variety must be present. You also need to remember that sapphire glass simply cannot be cheap. So too low a price is a reason to doubt the honesty of the seller and demand documents for the goods.