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The variety of 3D-printing techniques available so far have been used on polymers or metals, but never on glass. Where glass was processed into structures, for instance by melting and application by means of a nozzle, the surface turned out to be very rough, the material was porous and contained voids. “We present a new method, an innovation in materials processing, in which the material of the piece manufactured is high-purity quartz glass with the respective chemical and physical properties,” explains Rapp. The glass structures made by the KIT scientists show resolutions in the range of a few micrometers – one micrometer corresponding to one thousandth of a millimeter. However, the structures may have dimensions in the range of a few centimeters, emphasizes Rapp.
3D-formed glass can be used, for instance, in data technology. “The next plus one generation of computers will use light, which requires complicated processor structures; 3D-technology could be used, for instance, to make small, complex structures out of a large number of very small optical components of different orientations,” explains the mechanical engineer. For biological and medical technologies, very small analytical systems could be made out of miniaturized glass tubes. In addition, 3D-shaped microstructures of glass could be employed in a variety of optical areas, from eyeglasses meeting special requirements to lenses in laptop cameras.
Frederik Kotz, et al. Three-dimensional printing of transparent fused silica glass. Nature, 2017; 544 (7650): 337 DOI: 10.1038/nature22061
(Score: 2) by its_gonna_be_yuge! on Tuesday April 25 2017, @01:29PM (4 children)
This all makes sense. One thing they don't mention though is the toxicity of nano-glasses:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday April 25 2017, @01:46PM (2 children)
Could rubbing traditional glass against an abrasive create toxic nano-glasses?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by fishybell on Tuesday April 25 2017, @03:46PM
From the linked article:
The article doesn't clearly state other than referencing that the invention of the pneumatic hammer drill and sandblasting created vastly more cases. It does say it's caused by crystalline silicate dust.
Overall, I'm guessing yes. If you're created dust of any sort and breathing it in, that's not good.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday April 25 2017, @11:39PM
It is generally recognized that people working in the following industries have the greatest risk of being exposed to silica dust and contracting silicosis:
[...]
Manufacturing of glass products
[...]
-- https://www.glassblast.com/silicosis/ [glassblast.com]
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a mineral that is part of sand, rock, and mineral ores such as quartz. It mostly affects workers exposed to silica dust in occupations such mining, glass manufacturing, and foundry work.
-- http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/silicosis/ [lung.org]
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday April 25 2017, @11:24PM
If a material like nano-glass is melted, then would it still have nano sized features? or just fuse due to melting and thus lack any nano dangers?