Glassomer GmbH

Structuring of glass is challenging and usually requires high temperatures to shape a glass melt or aggressive chemicals for etching of microstructures. Glassomer is a silica nanocomposite which comes as a liquid or a solid. As a liquid Glassomer (e.g. Glassomer L50) can be structured by room temperature replication or stereolithography 3D printing. As a solid Glassomer can be structured using classical subtractive structuring technologies like drilling, milling, lathing or simply carving with a knife. It can further be structured using thermal polymer molding technologies like nanoimprinting, thermoforming or high-throughput roll-to-roll replication. A final heat treatment turns the polymeric nanocomposites into high quality fused silica glass. The conversion takes place at 700 °C below the temperature for handling of silica melts (~2000 °C) and thus saves a considerable amount of energy.