1960s Gorilla Glass Used for TVs and Cell Phones

In 1962, Corning invented 'Gorilla glass', a super-strong glass that is hard to scratch or break. It sounds like a great material, right? It is, but there wasn't a market for the glass before cell phones and flat screen televisions came along, where a strong and thin layer of glass was perfect for the application. Why has Gorilla glass, which was originally dubbed 'Chemcor', basically gone unused for so long? The glass cost more to mass-produce for previous applications that would require a strong, thin glass than that produced by competitors. A new name and some tweaks in the manufacturing process have Gorilla in over 100 products today, with more on the horizon, and $170 million in annual sales. Just goes to show an old invention may turn out to be a goldmine!