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Invisible Glass Invented
Blodgett (center) demonstrating surface chemistry experiments for visitors at the opening of General Electric's Research Laboratory building.

Photo courtesy of AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection.


1938: Invisible glass invented

Irving Langmuir and Katherine Blodgett were pioneering General Electric research scientists. Together they invented Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film by placing one-molecule-thick barium stearate films on top of each other to create a coating that could be applied to solid surfaces such as metal or glass.

Even the clearest natural glass appears hazy since it can reflect up to 10% of incident (angled) light. But by precisely controlling the thickness of the LB film applied, Blodgett was able to create a coating that cancels out the reflection and makes glass 99% transparent.