LionGlass Windows in Development with Vitro

LionGlass, a sustainable glass invented at Penn State, may soon be developed for windows due to a new partnership with Vitro Architectural Glass. The company signed a multi-year research agreement to scale up the new glass technology for use in flat glass applications across architectural and automotive markets.

The project, which runs through July 2028, will focus on adapting LionGlass for the float process.  

As part of the agreement, Vitro will be sending one of its own employees, Daniel Kramer, back to Penn State to pursue a doctorate and work directly on the project. Kramer will lead the research alongside Nicholas Clark, assistant research professor at Penn State and co-inventor of LionGlass, whom Kramer trained in Mauro’s lab as an undergrad. The team will evaluate LionGlass’s compatibility with industrial float processes and optimize its composition for flat glass applications. The team will also test its compatibility with various downstream, value-added processes used in architectural and solar glass markets.

What people are saying

“Partnering with Penn State gives us access to world-class materials science expertise and a deep legacy of innovation in glass research,” says Adam Polcyn, vice president of research and development at Vitro Architectural Glass. “This team’s collaborative spirit and technical excellence make them an ideal partner for advancing the future of glass.”

“This is more than just a research agreement. It’s a partnership that could redefine how glass is made — and it’s happening right here in Pennsylvania,” says John Mauro, co-inventor of LionGlass and head of the department of materials science and engineering at Penn State.