Scientists at MISiS, a top Russian tech university based in Moscow, have developed a technology to slash the production cost of smartphone displays, the MISiS website announced.
Obtained through chemical processes from high-purity aluminum oxide, artificial sapphires (monocrystalline corundum) today play an essential role in the production of smartphone displays. They are a key component of LEDs and protective glass for these gadgets.
However, due to the lack of large-scale domestic production of this raw material, Russian manufacturers have to import it at a high price. To address the problem, MISiS researchers have come up with a cost-effective and safe method to produce high-purity aluminum oxide.
Photo credit: MISiS
This patented new technology is now expected to provide enough raw material to meet the needs of domestic producers in monocrystalline corundum.
The prototype production unit can operate with a capacity of up to 1.2 kg per day.
The Russian researchers emphasize benefits of their innovation in terms of environmental and human safety — at a level which traditional production techniques do not reach.
The technology is said to be energy-efficient, too, and to require inexpensive equipment.
This story first appeared in Marchmont News, a syndication partner of East-West Digital News.
