FAQs

  • How is Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 different?

    Gorilla Glass 2 can be up to 20 percent thinner than the original, but still just as tough. This exceptional thinness enables greater design possibilities for slimmer and sleeker devices with brighter images and improved touch sensitivity. Gorilla Glass 2 is elegant and lightweight, but scratch resistant and durable enough to withstand the unexpected abuses of everyday life.

  • Why do I want Gorilla Glass on my devices?

    Scrapes, bumps, and drops are a fact of life, but Gorilla Glass enables your device to resist damage from the abuses that come with everyday use. Gorilla Glass also has strong aesthetic appeal. It’s thin, lightweight, and cool to the touch – enabling the sleekest designs.

  • Can you explain the ion-exchange process?

    Ion exchange is a chemical strengthening process where large ions are “stuffed” into the glass surface, creating a state of compression. Gorilla Glass is specially designed to maximize this behavior.

    The glass is placed in a hot bath of molten salt at a temperature of approximately 400°C. Smaller sodium ions leave the glass, and larger potassium ions from the salt bath replace them. These larger ions take up more room and are pressed together when the glass cools, producing a layer of compressive stress on the surface of the glass. Gorilla Glass’s special composition enables the potassium ions to diffuse far into the surface, creating high compressive stress deep into the glass. This layer of compression creates a surface that is more resistant to damage from everyday use. 

  • What makes Gorilla Glass so damage resistant?

    The unique composition of Gorilla Glass allows for a deep layer of high compressive stress (created through an ion-exchange process). This compression acts as a sort of “armor,” making the glass exceptionally tough and damage resistant.

  • How do I know if Gorilla Glass is on my device?

    Gorilla Glass is currently used by more than 30 major brands, designed into hundreds of product models, and featured on more than 600 million devices. Check out this list for the most current, comprehensive collection of devices that Corning can confirm for Gorilla Glass.

  • Does this list include ALL devices that have Gorilla Glass?

    No, unfortunately, customer agreements prevent us from identifying all the devices that feature Gorilla Glass. This list shows all devices we can talk about. We’ll continue to update the list as customers allow us to share that information.

  • Can I break Gorilla Glass?

    If subjected to enough abuse, Gorilla Glass can break. However, Gorilla Glass is better able to survive the real-world events that most commonly cause glass to scratch, chip, or break.

  • I like the idea of greater damage resistance, but won’t Gorilla Glass add bulk to my device?

    Corning’s ion-exchange process makes Gorilla Glass exceptionally durable, while allowing it to remain thin and lightweight enough to enable the sleekest smartphones and slates. Gorilla Glass can be produced at a thinness of 0.5 millimeters just four times thicker than a human hair.

  • Is it true that Gorilla Glass was originally developed in the 1960s?

    No. That has been a popular myth, which apparently resulted from a misunderstanding of the facts. It’s true that Corning experimented with chemically strengthened glass in 1960, as part of an initiative called “Project Muscle.” In 1961, Corning developed a glass composition it promoted under the Chemcor® brand, which featured state-of-the-art strength and durability. Chemcor glass was incorporated into tableware, ophthalmic products, and applications for the automotive, aviation, and pharmaceutical industries. When Corning began developing a tough new cover glass for electronic devices in 2006, Corning scientists, of course, drew upon the company’s prior expertise with strengthened glass. However, Corning Gorilla Glass is a different product and glass composition than Chemcor. We implemented significant compositional as well as other changes to achieve superior product characteristics including outstanding damage resistance, while making the glass compatible with Corning’s proprietary fusion-draw manufacturing process. Corning’s fusion-draw process produces exceptionally thin glass with unparalleled surface quality. The result is a tough and damage-resistant glass that is ideal for today’s sleekest electronic devices and most sophisticated touch technology.

  • Is Gorilla Glass recyclable?

    Yes. Gorilla Glass is environmentally friendly and can be recycled.