Freethought & Rationalism Archive

elwoodblues · 02-24-2002, 05:00 PM

For all you doubters out there...

<a href="http://www.sci-fighter.com/news/newsfeb02/feb21aluminium.php3" target="_blank">http://www.sci-fighter.com/news/newsfeb02/feb21aluminium.php3</a>

I tell you three times, the science fiction of today is, quite often, the science of tomorrow. Not always, but damned often.

"A ceramic research lab in Dresden, Germany, has developed transparent aluminium by subjecting fine-grained (I'm guessing extremely fine-grained) aluminum to a whopping 1200 degrees Celsius ...the result of which is amzingly light but three times tougher than hardened steel of the same thickness (mileage may vary at different measurements, the article didn't say), and see-through."

I think it was in Star Trek 4, if I remember correctly. So there. Ha. Boo-yah.

tronvillain · 02-24-2002, 05:13 PM

Assuming it isn't a joke, I'm amazed.

elwoodblues · 02-24-2002, 05:21 PM

I've seen it in a few different places, including Slashdot.com I'd be very, very surprised if this were a crank.

tronvillain · 02-24-2002, 05:26 PM

Speaking of transparent materials, I saw something a while back about tranparent concrete.

alek0 · 02-24-2002, 06:00 PM

Alumina is not the same as aluminum. Melting point of aluminum is 660C, so if you'd subject it to 1200C you'd just get molten aluminum. Alumina (aluminum oxide) which these guys have used has melting point 2045C, and that's entirely different matter.

Nevertheless, it is amazing, since alumina is normally whitish completely opaque material (I have plenty of that as evaporation sources, alumina coated evaporation boats are great as metal sources, since most metals do not wet alumina).

Late_Cretaceous · 02-24-2002, 08:09 PM

I once had a mirror for a telescope coated with aluminum and was told to let the mirror sit for a few weeks without touching it so that a layer of aluminum oxide (alumina?). Aluminum oxide in this case was transparent and did not affect the reflectivity of the mirror, but provided a natural protective overcoat. So maybe the idea of transparent aluminum is not all that new.. It may have something to do with the size of the particles they put through their furnace since the coating on a mirror is extrememly thin, and the aluminum oxide layer that forms on top of it must be very thin indeed.

bluefugue · 02-24-2002, 08:41 PM

Does this mean Scotty actually came back in time and gave the formula away?

Coragyps · 02-25-2002, 09:47 AM

I can't make the link work, but if it is alumina they're talking about, it's no surprise. Ruby and sapphire are two transparent forms of alumina - I'll bet that the toughness is the novel thing with this stuff.

GunnerJ · 02-25-2002, 01:27 PM

I saw a lecture by a nanotechnology/nanomaterials specialist at a SF convention, and she mentioned soemthing like this. Very cool.

whouprog · 02-25-2002, 11:24 PM

There's a bigger picture <a href="http://www.rense.com/general20/transparentalum.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.

02-24-2002, 05:00 PM	#1
elwoodblues Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Dunmanifestin, Discworld Posts: 4,836	Transparent Aluminum. Boo-yah. For all you doubters out there... <a href="http://www.sci-fighter.com/news/newsfeb02/feb21aluminium.php3" target="_blank">http://www.sci-fighter.com/news/newsfeb02/feb21aluminium.php3</a> I tell you three times, the science fiction of today is, quite often, the science of tomorrow. Not always, but damned often. "A ceramic research lab in Dresden, Germany, has developed transparent aluminium by subjecting fine-grained (I'm guessing extremely fine-grained) aluminum to a whopping 1200 degrees Celsius ...the result of which is amzingly light but three times tougher than hardened steel of the same thickness (mileage may vary at different measurements, the article didn't say), and see-through." I think it was in Star Trek 4, if I remember correctly. So there. Ha. Boo-yah.

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02-24-2002, 05:13 PM	#2
tronvillain Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,658	Assuming it isn't a joke, I'm amazed.

02-24-2002, 05:21 PM	#3
elwoodblues Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Dunmanifestin, Discworld Posts: 4,836	I've seen it in a few different places, including Slashdot.com I'd be very, very surprised if this were a crank.

02-24-2002, 05:26 PM	#4
tronvillain Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 5,658	Speaking of transparent materials, I saw something a while back about tranparent concrete.

02-24-2002, 06:00 PM	#5
alek0 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 640	Alumina is not the same as aluminum. Melting point of aluminum is 660C, so if you'd subject it to 1200C you'd just get molten aluminum. Alumina (aluminum oxide) which these guys have used has melting point 2045C, and that's entirely different matter. Nevertheless, it is amazing, since alumina is normally whitish completely opaque material (I have plenty of that as evaporation sources, alumina coated evaporation boats are great as metal sources, since most metals do not wet alumina).

02-24-2002, 08:09 PM	#6
Late_Cretaceous Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Alberta Posts: 1,049	I once had a mirror for a telescope coated with aluminum and was told to let the mirror sit for a few weeks without touching it so that a layer of aluminum oxide (alumina?). Aluminum oxide in this case was transparent and did not affect the reflectivity of the mirror, but provided a natural protective overcoat. So maybe the idea of transparent aluminum is not all that new.. It may have something to do with the size of the particles they put through their furnace since the coating on a mirror is extrememly thin, and the aluminum oxide layer that forms on top of it must be very thin indeed.

02-24-2002, 08:41 PM	#7
bluefugue Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,427	Does this mean Scotty actually came back in time and gave the formula away?

02-25-2002, 09:47 AM	#8
Coragyps Veteran Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Snyder,Texas,USA Posts: 4,411	I can't make the link work, but if it is alumina they're talking about, it's no surprise. Ruby and sapphire are two transparent forms of alumina - I'll bet that the toughness is the novel thing with this stuff.

02-25-2002, 01:27 PM	#9
GunnerJ Banned Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: a place where i can list whatever location i want Posts: 4,871	I saw a lecture by a nanotechnology/nanomaterials specialist at a SF convention, and she mentioned soemthing like this. Very cool.

02-25-2002, 11:24 PM	#10
whouprog Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 45	There's a bigger picture <a href="http://www.rense.com/general20/transparentalum.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.

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