A new production site for ion-exchange strengthening of silicate glass has been launched in the Kaluga region at the Obninsk Research and Production Enterprise "Tekhnologiya" named after A. G. Romashin. This glass is then used in civil aviation.
The technology involves replacing sodium ions with potassium ions in a special installation. The method is used when thermal hardening does not provide the required strength characteristics. Thanks to the use of the ion exchange process, the glass becomes 6-8 times stronger than ordinary glass and can withstand, for example, a collision with a bird at a speed of several hundred kilometers per hour.
Previously, Tekhnologiya did not have its own production lines for this process; glass strengthening was carried out at the Moscow facilities of the Solinov subsidiary Research Institute of Technical Glass. Now, its own facilities will help NPP expand its production capabilities, and, as noted in the parent state corporation Rostec, fulfill "large-scale plans in the field of aircraft construction until 2030".
Earlier this year, Tekhnologiya scientists created an innovative optical coating and technology for its application to cockpit glazing. The coating saves the crew from radiation from both on-board equipment and from external radiation, such as the sun, and has no analogues in Russia.