Scientists solve 400-year-old mystery of Prince Rupert's drops

phys.org ^ | May 9, 2017 | by Lisa Zyga

[Ancesthntr]

Very interesting.

But can you make anything useful out of that ultra-strong glass? Can something similar be made from other materials? Solving mysteries is nice, but without some practical benefit, it is not much more than a mind game (I could call it something else, but I’m trying to be polite).

[ctdonath2]

Go look up YouTube videos showing them shattering. Fascinating. People have gone so far as _shoot_ the drops, recorded with high-speed cameras, showing the bullet fragmenting on the glass and the glass surviving unscathed until the shockwave reaches the drop’s tail.

[ctdonath2]

Nope. The problem is the high-strength portion is coupled to a high-fragility portion; the instant any part of the glass breaks at all, the whole thing practically explodes.

[chrisser]

I wonder if there might be a way to avoid the tail and create a very strong glass bearing.

Maybe by releasing the molten glass in zero G and somehow surrounding it with water quickly?

[Red Badger]

I asked those same questions.
Could a drop made of iron be suddenly so strong that it could defy known materials at high speeds?...............

[CondorFlight]

Imagine something made out of a material that is compressed at 7000 times atmospheric pressure...

[Fiddlstix]

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

There has to be a way to harness this knowledge to create a nearly impenetrable surface. There has to be....

[Red Badger]

Check out this video at approximately 2:00

Bullet vs Prince Rupert’s Drop at 150,000 fps - Smarter Every Day 165

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24q80ReMyq0

[Red Badger]

The military uses would be enormous.................

[frithguild]

Imagine something made out of a material that is compressed at 7000 times atmospheric pressure...

A Liberal's brain

[William Tell]

Ancesthntr said: "Solving mysteries is nice, but without some practical benefit, it is not much more than a mind game..."

Science is the garden of knowledge from which engineers harvest inventions.

Tempered glass windows and doors already makes use of the understanding of compression and tension to create products which shatter into small harmless bits instead of large, pointed knifelike shards.

The understanding described in the article might make it possible to design car windows of tempered glass (which they do now) but with a built in mechanism to shatter the glass without the use of a tool. Some people carry a tool now to use during an accident to free themselves from a car by breaking a window. Instead, one could have a "Push button in order to break glass" mechanism near the door handle, basically building in the tool.

[Scrambler Bob]

This is an allegory/riddle.

Can be hit on the head with out any effect.

But tweak the tail, and everything shatters.

What/who am I?

[MUDDOG]

create a nearly impenetrable surface

Would've come in handy for the Argo City dome.

[Scrambler Bob]

harness this knowledge to create a nearly impenetrable surface.
= = =

Line up the heads all together, and the tails all together.

Head side is impenetrable, but tail side is vulnerable.

Cirdle them up like a wagon train!

[Big Red Badger]

My ex...

[Puppage]

Scientists solve 400-year-old mystery of Prince Rupert's drops

Finally, I can sleep tonight.

[Windflier]

There has to be a way to harness this knowledge to create a nearly impenetrable surface.

Someone will. Bank on it.

[Windflier]

Bullet....at 150,000 fps

I'm sure the boys on the banglist will be interested to hear more about that!