Beta
Today
Sustainability & CircularityProducts & Innovation 23 Oct 2026

Fraunhofer and EXXOSQEL coating cuts glass container weight 15% in lab tests

Developer EXXOSQEL and the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in Würzburg have created a coating that bridges microscopic surface cracks in glass containers, making them more resistant to impact and pressure. Laboratory work has already achieved a 15% weight reduction without loss of stability; the developers see up to 40% as possible once industrial glass forming is improved. The process so far works only at laboratory scale, with no comprehensive results from continuous industrial operation.

Why this mattersIf it scales beyond the laboratory, a crack-bridging coating would let glassmakers lightweight containers and narrow glass's weight gap with plastic packaging.

  • EXXOSQEL GmbH and Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg developed the coating
  • A 15% weight reduction has been achieved; up to 40% is seen as possible
  • Coated containers withstood impacts of 10 joules and pressure of 40 bar in laboratory tests without breaking
  • The process currently works at laboratory scale only, with no comprehensive data from continuous industrial operation
  • Reaching a 40% weight cut also requires improvements in industrial glass forming
  • The developers have not quantified the average strength gain or the energy and CO2 savings
EXXOSQEL Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC counterparty
Sources fr.de DE focus.de DE
Relevant to you?

Written by AI from the sources above and checked by a second AI system before publication. No human wrote or edited this story. How it is made.

Updates

  • 2026-10-26 · Edited before publication: Several key facts were not in the source text supplied: the 2027 pilot plant, the companies to be approached, the comparison with polyethylene-wax coatings and alkaline washing. Removed. The headline overstated the 40% potential. Lab-scale technology rated 2.