Optimizing Glass Surfaces for Manufacturing: From Root Causes to Real Solutions
Penn State’s glass research ecosystem enables partners to address surface‑driven performance challenges, from rapid, targeted analyses to long‑term fundamental research collaborations.
PANELISTS:
DATE: April 8, 2026
TIME: 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
From architectural glazing and containers to automotive glass, advanced packaging, and functional coatings, glass surfaces are an increasingly critical driver of performance, reliability, and product differentiation across manufacturing sectors. Yet many surface‑related failures trace back to subtle chemical and structural effects that are difficult to detect without surface‑sensitive tools and specialized expertise.
This webinar will provide a brief introduction to the core challenges associated with glass surfaces, explaining why surface chemistry, morphology, and processing history often control real‑world outcomes such as adhesion, durability, corrosion resistance, and optical performance. Attendees will gain a practical primer on how glass surfaces interact with coatings, environments, manufacturing processes, and why traditional bulk measurements often fall short.
The session will also highlight real‑world industrial case studies from Penn State’s Materials Characterization Lab (MCL), demonstrating how advanced tools such as XPS, AFM, FTIR, and related techniques are used to diagnose failures, identify root causes, and guide engineering decisions.
Penn State offers a comprehensive glass research ecosystem, anchored by the Center for Glass Research (CGR), that enables industry partners to address challenges at multiple scales, from rapid diagnostics to large, collaborative research efforts that integrate fundamental, experimental, and computational approaches.
Join this live session to learn more, share your thoughts, and ask questions to our expert panelists.