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Is it possible to build a perfectly spherical Prince Rupert's drop?

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2024-12-11 21:00:11

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Prince Rupert's Drops are glass objects created by dripping molten glass into cold water. While the outside of the drop quickly cools, the inside remains hot for a longer time. When it eventually cools, it shrinks, setting up very large compressive stresses on the surface.

The result is a sort of toughened glass: you can hammer the drop head without damaging it, but a scratch on the tail leads to an explosive disintegration. Check out this video.

So, is it possible to build spherical Prince Rupert's drops? And if so, how? One example of an application is as a replacement for traditional ball bearing spheres. There will be improvements in wear resistance and maximum loads tolerable, and a glass sphere would cost less anyway.

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