USA – Italian glassmaker Bormioli Luigi has teamed up with researchers at Penn State University to scale and commercialize Lion Glass, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional soda lime silicate glass.
Known for its luxury packaging for fragrances, cosmetics, and tableware, Bormioli Luigi is the first company to collaborate with Penn State on this innovative glass solution to reduce carbon emissions.
“This partnership offers a tremendous opportunity to create a more sustainable glass that significantly lowers CO2 emissions and energy consumption compared to standard glass,” says Elisa Biavardi, Chemical Laboratory Manager at Bormioli Luigi.
She also views the collaboration as a learning opportunity for both parties as they explore the full potential of this breakthrough in glassmaking.
The partnership’s focus is on scaling Lion Glass for luxury beauty packaging, including cosmetics and perfume bottles.
Unlike traditional soda lime silicate glass, which has been used for millennia, Lion Glass is a new type of glass offering significant environmental benefits.
Traditional soda lime silicate glass requires a high melting temperature of approximately 1,450°C, and the energy-intensive melting process accounts for 70% to 80% of its carbon footprint.
Additionally, the carbonate materials in this process release CO2, further contributing to its carbon emissions. Penn State estimates global glass manufacturing generates over 86 million tons of CO2 annually.
On the other hand, Lion Glass does not use carbonate materials and melts at a temperature 400°C lower than traditional glass.
According to John Mauro, professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State and co-inventor of Lion Glass, this significantly reduces energy consumption and can cut the carbon footprint of glass production by 50%.
The material is also ten times more crack-resistant, offering an additional advantage for lightweight glass products, which could reduce transportation emissions.
Although Lion Glass has been produced in laboratory settings using small crucibles, scaling it for industrial use will require large batch melting in furnaces and forming molds. These processes have yet to be tested.
Despite this, both Penn State and Bormioli Luigi are optimistic about Lion Glass’s potential to revolutionize the glass industry.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Bormioli to realize the full potential of Lion Glass,” says Mauro. “Bormioli has a strong track record of innovation in glass manufacturing, and together, we can move toward more environmentally sustainable methods.”
Nicholas Clark, one of the inventors of Lion Glass and a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State, adds, “What began as an idea in our lab is now on the brink of industrial innovation. Partnering with Bormioli allows us to scale our research from small crucible melting to continuous glass production.”
Bormioli Luigi is already transitioning to 100% renewable energy, with 65% of its current production powered by electricity. This partnership aligns with its broader goals of reducing environmental impact.
Andrew Read, Senior Vice President for Research at Penn State, echoes the excitement, noting, “This collaboration marries Penn State’s spirit of discovery with Bormioli’s product development expertise to create a durable, eco-friendly consumer product that helps mitigate climate change.”
Penn State has also submitted a second provisional patent for an upgraded version of Lion Glass, signaling continued innovation in sustainable glass solutions.
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