Case Examples of Applying the Oleophobic (Oil Repellent) Technology

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What is Aluminosilicate Glass?

Aluminosilicate glass is primarily composed of aluminum oxide (alumina Al2O3), silicon dioxide (silica SiO2), and alkali oxides such as sodium. To achieve high strength in glass, a process called "chemical strengthening" is applied, which creates a compressive layer on the glass surface. This composition of aluminosilicate glass is well-suited for chemical strengthening.

Chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass is known for its high strength and durability, offering significant resistance to scratches and impacts. Consequently, this type of chemically strengthened glass is commonly used in applications where strength and resistance to damage are critical, such as smartphones, tablets, and automotive displays.

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AGC Dragontrail® Series

AGC Dragontrail® series is a leading aluminosilicate glass renowned for its exceptional qualities, making it a preferred choice for various applications. This innovative glass is known for its high strength, scratch resistance, and versatility, making it ideal for smartphones, tablets, automotive displays, and more.

With a track record of success and a commitment to environmental sustainability, AGC Dragontrail® series stands out as a top-tier glass material trusted by brands worldwide. Five distinctive features set AGC Dragontrail® series apart from the competition.

5 Distinctive Features

AGC Dragontrail® Series is a renowned aluminosilicate glass known for its exceptional qualities, making it a preferred choice for various applications. Here are its five distinctive features:

1. High Strength and Scratch Resistance

AGC is committed to fundamental research, enhancing material design capabilities to develop high-strength cover glass. The chemically strengthened Dragontrail® series offers high durability and excellent resistance to scratches and impacts. This feature ensures that devices using Dragontrail® series glass maintain a pristine appearance even after prolonged use.
Its exceptional durability makes a preferred choice for smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices prone to wear and tear.

2. Made with the Float glass process

Dragontrail® series is manufactured using the float glass process, a stable and reliable manufacturing process.
This process enables the mass production of glass with high surface quality and uniform thickness. Additionally, it allows for the production of large quantities of sheet glass, leading to cost reduction and contributing to various device cover applications.

Additionally, since the float glass process allows for the production of large, flat sheets of glass, the Dragontrail® series manufactured using this process is suitable not only for small electronic devices but also for covering large devices.
Click here to learn more about "Float glass process"

3. Proven Track Records

Dragontrail® series has a proven track record of success and is trusted by various brands worldwide. The chemically strengthened specialty glass for cover glass, the Dragontrail® series, designed for smartphones and tablet PCs, has seen widespread adoption by leading global brands, including those in Japan, the United States, South Korea, and China. The use of Dragontrail® series by leading brands in the electronics industry is a testament to its performance and reliability, further reinforcing its reputation as a top-tier glass material.

4. Environmentally Friendly

The Dragontrail® series is an environmentally conscious product, characterized by its manufacturing process that does not use lead, arsenic, or antimony at all.
Using environmentally friendly materials is becoming increasingly important in the electronics industry, and Dragontrail® series sets a high standard for sustainability. By choosing Dragontrail® series, manufacturers can reduce their environmental footprint without compromising quality or performance.

5. Glass Processing According to Customer Needs

We can provide the specialty aluminosilicate glass tailored to the diverse needs of our customers. Not only can we accommodate any size, shape, or thickness, but we can also meet your requirements by combining various glass processing technologies, such as with or without chemical strengthening, polishing, and AG/AR surface treatments.

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Standard Product Line

AGC's Dragontrail® product line offers a range of specialized aluminosilicate glasses designed for various applications, including smartphones, tablets, and automotive displays. These glasses are known for their exceptional strength, scratch resistance, and environmental friendliness, making them the preferred choice for many leading brands worldwide.

Alkali-Aluminosilicate Glass

AGC's chemically strengthened alkali aluminosilicate glass offers significantly greater strength and wear resistance compared to traditional glass or plastic, providing superior texture and durability. This glass is also environmentally friendly, not containing lead, arsenic, or antimony. It is ideal for applications requiring high strength and durability, such as cover glass for smartphones and automotive displays.

Dragontrail®

Dragontrail® is a chemically strengthened special glass developed for cover glass applications in smartphones, tablets, and automotive displays. It offers superior strength, abrasion resistance, and touch feel compared to conventional glass or plastics. Dragontrail® is highly valued for its ease of view and operation in navigation or other automotive information display panels. It is already employed in many vehicles worldwide, showcasing its reliability and performance.

Dragontrail® Pro

Dragontrail® Pro takes the surface compressive stress of Dragontrail® even further, making it about 1.5 times stronger. This enhanced strength makes Dragontrail® Pro ideal for applications such as smartphones with curved edge displays, as it is more resistant to edge cracking. Dragontrail® Pro offers the same superior strength and abrasion resistance as Dragontrail® but with additional durability for curved surfaces.

Lithium-Aluminosilicate Glass

Lithium aluminosilicate glass is made by using materials that contain lithium (LiO₂) instead of sodium oxide (Na₂O) found in alkali aluminosilicate glass. By utilizing lithium (Li) ions, which diffuse faster than sodium (Na) ions, there is the advantage of being able to create a deeper compressive layer. It is primarily used for cover glass in smartphones and tablets.

Dragontrail® STAR Series

Dragontrail STAR series is a cover glass that boasts four times the strength of the original generation of Dragontrail®. The enhanced strength makes the cover glass even thinner than Dragontrail® Pro, enabling a high degree of added value, such as being bendable and low in weight. It makes it suitable for use in display screens and for the protection of rear covers in smartphones and other devices.

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Use Cases

AGC Dragontrail® series is a versatile aluminosilicate glass renowned for its exceptional qualities, making it a preferred choice for various applications. While commonly used in smartphones, tablets, and automotive displays, Dragontrail® series can also be used for various other purposes, showcasing its versatility and adaptability.

Smartphones

Dragontrail® series is extensively used as a smartphone cover glass due to its high strength and scratch resistance. Its durability ensures that smartphones maintain their sleek appearance even after prolonged use. Dragontrail® series' ability to withstand impacts and scratches makes it ideal for protecting smartphone screens, ensuring a longer lifespan.

Additionally, Dragontrail® series exceptional touch sensitivity and smooth surface contribute to a seamless user experience. Its anti-reflective properties reduce glare, making screens easier to view even in bright sunlight. This combination of durability, sensitivity, and visibility makes Dragontrail® series an ideal smartphone choice, providing protection and enhanced usability.

AGC's Related Product

Smartphone Cover Glass

Cover glass is a component used for the exterior of smartphones. It must also meet the following six needs: Durability, Scratch resistance, Touch feel, Thinness, Transparency, and Flexibility. 

Tablets, Laptops

Dragontrail® series strength and scratch resistance make it suitable for use in tablets and laptops. It can resist daily wear and tear to keep these devices in optimal condition for longer. Dragontrail® series durability and reliability make it an excellent choice for protecting the screens of tablets and laptops, providing users with reliable protection and an enjoyable experience.
Moreover, Dragontrail® series lightweight nature allows for thinner and lighter device designs without compromising durability. It is particularly advantageous for tablets and laptops, where portability is key. The use of Dragontrail® series glass in these devices ensures that they remain sleek and easy to carry while also being protected against damage from daily use.

Automotive Display

Dragontrail® series are also used in automotive displays, where durability and visibility are crucial. Its high strength and scratch resistance make it ideal for display panels, ensuring critical information is easily visible to drivers. Dragontrail® series ability to withstand impacts and scratches makes it a reliable choice for automotive applications, optimizing the safety and functionality of modern vehicles.

Furthermore, Dragontrail® series ability to be molded into complex shapes makes it suitable for curved automotive displays, enabling innovative design possibilities. Its resistance to high temperatures and UV exposure maintains its optical clarity and strength even under harsh environmental conditions.

AGC's Related Product

Automotive Display Glass

Automotive Display Glass is becoming larger, more complex, and more functional every year. The elements required of glass are "low reflectivity," "safety," and "antifouling". This article introduces three technologies to meet these requirements.

Possibilities for various applications

The Dragontrail® series, with its high strength, scratch resistance, superior surface quality through the float glass process, and size adaptability, has the potential to contribute to various applications such as semiconductors, mobility, solar cells, robotics, aerospace, and drones due to its excellent characteristics.

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Basics of Aluminosilicate Glass

Aluminosilicate glass contains aluminum oxide (alumina Al2O3) and silicon dioxide (silica SiO2) as its primary components. It is known that by undergoing chemical strengthening, it achieves high strength and scratch resistance, making it suitable for various applications. We explore how aluminosilicate glass compares to other glass materials and provide an overview of its types to understand better what makes it unique.

Comparison with Other Glass Materials

Here is a comparison of aluminosilicate glass with other types of glass materials to provide a better understanding of its unique properties and advantages:

Soda-lime Glass

Soda-lime glass comprises silica, soda (sodium oxide), and lime (calcium oxide). While soda-lime glass can also have its strength increased through chemical strengthening, it is generally inferior in strength to chemically strengthened aluminosilicate glass. Soda-lime glass is commonly used in windows, bottles, and glassware.

Borosilicate Glass

Borosilicate glass contains boron trioxide in addition to silica and other components. It is known for its high thermal shock resistance and low coefficient of thermal expansion. Borosilicate glass is often used in lab glassware and high-temperature applications.

Non-alkali Glass

Non-alkali glass, also known as non-soda lime glass, is a glass that does not contain alkalis such as sodium or potassium. It is chemically resistant but has lower thermal shock resistance than borosilicate glass. Non-alkali glass is used in specialized applications where chemical resistance is important.

Fused Quartz Glass

Fused quartz glass is made from pure silica, which is melted and then cooled to form a solid glass. It has excellent optical and thermal properties and high chemical purity. Fused quartz glass is used in optics, semiconductor manufacturing, and high-temperature applications.

Glass Ceramics

Glass-ceramics are a type of glass that has been heat-treated to induce crystallization, resulting in a material that integrates the properties of glass and ceramics. They have high mechanical strength, thermal shock resistance, and chemical durability. Glass ceramics are used in cookware, dental restorations, and aerospace applications.

Summary

Aluminosilicate glass comes in various types, each tailored for specific purposes. Understanding these types can provide insights into aluminosilicate glass's unique properties and applications in different industries.