Gorilla Glass®
(Corning)
Gorilla Glass® Optical Windows & Chemically Toughened Substrates
Gorilla Glass® is a chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass developed by Corning Incorporated, renowned for its exceptional strength, scratch resistance, and optical clarity.
Engineered for high durability and optical precision, it combines lightweight performance with outstanding impact resistance, making it a preferred material for protective windows, display covers, and ruggedized optical assemblies.
Through a proprietary ion-exchange process, smaller sodium ions in the surface are replaced by larger potassium ions, creating a deep compressive stress layer that greatly enhances surface strength and damage resistance.
This process gives Gorilla Glass® a compressive stress of up to ~900 MPa, offering superior protection against scratches, impacts, and flexural stress compared to standard soda-lime or borosilicate glass.
In addition to its mechanical robustness, Gorilla Glass® provides excellent optical transmission from 350 nm to 2.5 µm, with minimal birefringence and high homogeneity.
It can be anti-reflective coated, laser-cut, polished, or chemically etched for use in optical instruments, sensors, smart displays, and protective optical windows.
At Global Optics UK, we supply Gorilla Glass® components to customer specification, including cutting, polishing, coating, and edge finishing.
Our precision-fabricated Gorilla Glass® substrates combine exceptional strength, optical performance, and environmental durability, ideal for industrial, aerospace, and defense optical applications where reliability and lightweight protection are critical.
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FAQ
Q: What is Gorilla Glass®?
A: Gorilla Glass® is a chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass developed by Corning. It is known for its exceptional scratch resistance, impact durability, and optical clarity. The glass is produced through an ion-exchange process that creates a layer of compressive stress on the surface, significantly improving its strength compared to standard soda-lime glass.
Q: What makes Gorilla Glass® stronger than ordinary glass?
A: During chemical tempering, smaller sodium ions in the glass are replaced with larger potassium ions from a molten salt bath. This creates compressive stress on the surface that resists cracks, scratches, and impacts, providing up to 900 MPa surface strength — several times greater than typical glass.
Q: What is the transmission range of Gorilla Glass®?
A: Gorilla Glass® provides excellent optical transmission from approximately 350 nm to 2.5 µm, covering the visible and near-infrared regions. It maintains high clarity and minimal optical distortion, making it suitable for displays, sensors, and protective optical windows.
Q: Is Gorilla Glass® suitable for high-temperature or outdoor environments?
A: Yes. It performs reliably across a wide temperature range (–50 °C to +200 °C) and shows excellent resistance to moisture, chemicals, and UV exposure. Its low thermal expansion (~8.1 × 10⁻⁶ /°C) ensures dimensional stability under thermal cycling.
Q: Can Gorilla Glass® be coated or machined?
A: Absolutely. It can be cut, laser-processed, edge-polished, and coated with AR, DLC, or ITO layers. This makes it ideal for optical, electronic, and display applications requiring enhanced durability or specific optical performance.
Q: What are typical applications of Gorilla Glass®?
A: Gorilla Glass® is widely used for display panels, sensor windows, optical covers, aerospace instruments, medical devices, and ruggedized electronics. Its combination of high strength and transparency makes it a versatile protective material for optical assemblies.
Q: Where can I download the datasheet?
A: You can download the Gorilla Glass® Technical Datasheet here.