14 DAY TRIAL // At this year’s CES trade show, Corning announced a new version of its high-strength Gorilla Glass that keeps away microbes, paving the way for much cleaner smartphones in 2014.
Apple is set to release its iPhone 6 this year and, if history is any indication, the company will continue to rely on Corning for the glass panel overlapping the Retina display underneath.
Corning’s “Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass” undoubtedly has its marketing advantages, but there’s real science behind it. According to its creators, the glass contains ionic silver, which is an antibacterial agent.
Through precise engineering, Corning is also able to retain the mechanical, optical, and dielectric properties of the glass panel.
The glass reportedly thwarts “algae, mold, mildew, fungi, and bacteria because of its built-in antimicrobial property,” according to James R Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials.