Plastic deformation and recovery in ultrathin aluminosilicate glass

Glass was generally considered to be brittle, and its applications were significantly limited by its vulnerability to fracture caused by deformation. The folding tests with ultrathin glass (UTG) conducted in this work illustrate that glass can also deform plastically and generate permanent creases on a macroscopic level. Moreover, the plastic deformation can gradually and partially recover at room temperature and the level of recovery can be inhibited by a longer holding time or through repeated loading. Based on the experimental observation, a phenomenological model is established to predict the plastic behavior of the concerned glass and we further discuss the possible cause of plastic deformation and its recovery and the potential applications.