Strengthening glass bottles with dry aerosol-deposited ceramic coatings

Overview

This innovative solution utilizes a dry aerosol deposition (DAD) process to apply ceramic coatings on glass bottles, significantly enhancing their mechanical strength and scratch resistance. By creating a tough, inert surface with high residual compressive stress, the coatings not only improve the reliability of glass containers but also enable lightweighting. The non-toxic, eco-friendly nature of the ceramic materials ensures stability across a wide pH range, making this an economical and sustainable solution for the glass industry.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Application of nanocrystalline alumina (Al2O3) coatings using DAD, resulting in a 37% increase in Weibull modulus and a 53% increase in characteristic strength.
• Achieves residual stress of 500 MPa, surpassing the standard minimum temper surface compression stress.
• Coatings minimize surface flaws and induce edge-defect failure mode, enhancing strength.
• Patented technology enables coating on curved and hollow surfaces.

Validation plans include:

• Producing oxide films up to 10 microns thick and correlating residual compressive stress with film thickness.
• Conducting nano-micro hardness and scratch tests to assess wear and delamination resistance.
• Performing extensive 4-pt bend tests and Weibull analyses to determine optimal coating thickness.
• Exploring the application of coatings on both internal and external surfaces of tubular structures.

Technology readiness level

The technology is currently at TRL 4, indicating that it has been validated in a laboratory environment. Future steps involve further testing and optimization in more representative environments, with a focus on securing partnerships for funding, equipment modifications, and additional patenting opportunities.