Glass, as a material widely used in construction, automotive, electronic, and other fields, is favored for its transparency, beauty, and good chemical stability. However, the brittleness and poor impact resistance of traditional glass limit its application in certain high-safety-demand scenarios. Therefore, how to improve the impact resistance of glass has become an important research direction in the field of materials science.



The methods to improve the impact resistance of glass can mainly be approached from aspects such as material composition, structural design, and surface treatment.



Firstly, changing the composition of glass is the basic means to enhance its impact resistance. During the glass manufacturing process, by adding specific oxides such as aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) or magnesium oxide (MgO), the hardness and toughness of glass can be improved. In addition, using borosilicate glass instead of traditional soda-lime glass can significantly improve its thermal stability and mechanical strength, thereby indirectly enhancing its impact resistance.



Secondly, the tempering treatment technology is one of the most common and effective methods. Tempered glass (also known as strengthened glass) is made by heating ordinary glass to about 650°C and then rapidly and uniformly cooling (quenching) it. This process forms a compressive stress layer on the surface of the glass and a tensile stress layer inside, thus greatly improving its mechanical strength. The impact resistance of tempered glass can reach more than 5 times that of ordinary glass, and even if it breaks, it will form granular fragments, greatly reducing the harm to humans.



Thirdly, laminated glass technology is one of the effective means to improve impact resistance. Laminated glass is composed of two or more layers of glass with a layer of PVB (polyvinyl butyral) film interlayer. When impacted, the intermediate PVB film can absorb energy and prevent glass fragments from flying, offering good safety and sound insulation properties, and is widely used in high-rise building windows, automotive windshields, and other fields.

　　In addition, nanocoating and surface strengthening technologies are also continuously developing. By applying a layer of nanometer-scale ceramic or polymer material on the surface of glass, not only can its wear resistance and corrosion resistance be enhanced, but its impact resistance can also be effectively improved. For example, sapphire glass or Corning Gorilla Glass applied to smartphone screen glass is enhanced in terms of mechanical strength through processes such as surface ion exchange.

　　In summary, through various means such as material optimization, structural improvement, and surface engineering, it is possible to effectively enhance the impact resistance of glass, expanding its application prospects in fields with higher requirements for safety and functionality. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology, it is believed that more new high-strength glass materials will emerge, bringing more convenience and safety to human life.