Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia claim to have invented the next generation of composite glass that they say could help make unbreakable smartphone screens in the future. While scientists have been working to create unbreakable glass for years, the technology has largely remained out of reach. Despite increased research in this area over the years, there's no solution yet that is implementable on a commercial scale, which means despite various display protection technologies, glass remains pretty much as fragile and brittle as it has always been.

Thanks to the fragility of traditional glass, smartphone screens are susceptible to breakage every time they're dropped, resulting in millions of dollars being spent every year on fixing cracked or shattered screens. While break-resistant screens are available, they are primarily made of plastic or similar materials, making them unsuitable for touchscreen devices. However, the latest research, carried out by Australian researchers in association with scientists worldwide, promises to change that by creating flexible glass that is both shatter-resistant and touch-friendly.

Related: Samsung Wants To 'Copy And Paste' The Human Brain

According to ABC News, the new composite material invented by the University of Queensland scientists could be used in a wide range of devices, including smartphones, televisions, computers and LED lights. Talking to ABC News, a chemical engineer and researcher Jingwei Hou said that the new material would help manufacture unbreakable phone screens and deliver crystal-clear image quality. According to him, the magic ingredient in the new unbreakable glass is 'perovskite,' which is a calcium titanium oxide crystal.

The Unbreakable Glass Could Also Turn Phone Screens Into Solar Panels

New Flexible Glass Could Make Phone Screens Unbreakable

While perovskite is a "highly functional material," it needs to be stabilized before being used for commercial purposes. To do that, Hou said the team "developed a revolutionary process" to bind the perovskite nanocrystals in porous glass to reduce their sensitivity to light, heat, air and water. This, he said, allows the material to be used for creating products like flexible solar panels and phone screens. Hou further claimed that the technology would also help in detailed medical imaging, which should help doctors better diagnose patients. Perovskites are also energy efficient and can emit a variety of colors, which means they can be used to create various kinds of bright displays, he added.

The new technology could also turn smartphone displays into solar panels that can be used to charge a phone by converting ambient light to electrical energy. According to Hou, a smartphone screen converts energy to light while a solar panel converts light to energy, and the new material could usher in a future where "one material can do both." Of course, it remains to be seen whether the latest technology can be scaled up for cost-efficient mass production, but if it can, the promise of shatter-free screens that also act as a free charging solution is something that most smartphone buyers would look forward to.

Next: Scientists Invented Holograms You Can Touch, And Even Shake Hands With

Source: ABC News