For technology freaks, the term Gorilla Glass might be a familiar one. Gorilla glasses are chemically strengthened, thin, light and damage-resistant glass used mostly as smartphone screens. Even though the term is immensely popular and a part of our life, little do we know about the team who manufactures it. Corning, an American multinational company, is the brain behind this innovation.
Founded in New York in 1851 by Amory Houghton, Corning specialises in the production of glass and ceramic materials and advanced optics for scientific applications. The company has been into science-based innovations post the World War II.
Gorilla Glass, one of the key discoveries of this era, took birth accidentally. In 1952, Don Stookey, a chemist from Corning, placed a sample of photosensitive glass in a furnace and set the temperature to 600°C. However, the furnace had a faulty controller that let the temperature shoot to 900°C. When Stookey opened the door of the furnace, instead of a melted blob, he found a sturdy milky white plate. Thus, were invented gorilla glasses, an integral part of smartphone technology today. The material was named Gorilla because of its strength and durability.
Today, leading smartphone companies like OnePlus, Samsung, Redmi, Sony, Lenovo and Oppo are using Gorilla Glasses as their phone screens. Ford uses it as the windshield in its sports and mainstream models. Over time, Corning has expanded its expertise to microreactors, photovoltaics, and silicon on glass. Apple has announced in September 2019 that it will invest $250 Mn in Corning for manufacturing glasses for its products.
Corning had also worked with Steve Jobs to create iPhone screen glass. Recently, Corning associated with Tech2 Innovate, one of the most prominent digital and technology festivals for India’s youth on February 14 and15 in New Delhi. Wendell P. Weeks and Lawrence D. McRae are respectively the current chairman and vice chairman of Corning. Even after revolutionising the smartphone scenario with their extra-safe glass, Corning is still not popular among common men. So, next time, when you talk about Gorilla glass, just remember who made it!
