Notice that there was NO MENTION of the cost of this glass. They made a big deal of strength 10x, and lower melting point less energy needed but COST never mentioned.
My bet 10-20x more expensive. GREEN is never cheap.
Well, they mentioned that the increased strength could allow them to make a much thinner product w/ the same durability as regular glass - which would lower shipping rates, etc.
Yup. The cost of the materials it contains is important. From the description, it lowers the amount of energy it takes to produce compared to standard glass. I'm not sure how large of a component of the price of glass the energy it takes to produce it is. If it is cheaper and stronger than 'standard' industrial glass, it's a win. If not, it may have specialized applications. Would also be interested in knowing if the resultant product is, itself, recyclable. If not, then you have to take materials into account again. Would love to have affordable shatterproof containers because glass is really easy to sterilize and clean.
The cost of a new class of material in full commercial production is hard to predict in the earliest stages of development. Lower energy cost is a promising start though. My guess is that the key is adding a relatively cheap new compound into the glass making process, which is why the press release is so sparse on the details. Their best strategy is to get the first round of patents and quickly refine the production process with a commercial partner that has the cash and international political and legal heft to defend the IP involved.