High-throughput injection molding of transparent fused silica glass

Abstract

Shaping silica like a polymer Glass is tremendously useful, but it is energy intensive to make because of the high melting temperature and processing methods that require melts. Mader et al. circumvented the need for melting glass using a plastic silica nanocomposite for injection molding (see the Perspective by Dylla-Spears). The low-temperature injection molding can produce parts in as little as 5 seconds with high spatial resolution. The strategy provides a different and potentially less energy-intensive method for mass producing parts made of glass. Science , this issue p. 182 ; see also p. 126