Future Apple devices could be scratch resistant, thanks to a material called Spatial Compounds
As identified by Patently Apple , Apple has received a new patent for the Spatial Compounds material from the US Patent and Trademark Office. According to the patent document, the company plans to design a scratch-resistant back panel using wear-resistant materials.
Spatial Composites consist of metal and ceramic composites with scratch resistant properties, minimal interference and superior durability. The patent indicates that the substrate material will have a moldable matrix of metal and ceramic composites spaced 10 to 100 microns apart.
In the patent document, Apple describes various materials used in the manufacture of smartphones. The company says that plastic does not block the radio connection, but is scratch-resistant, while metal is scratch-resistant, but suffers from radio connection problems. For this reason, Spatial Composites may be the best material to be used against scratches in today's devices.