Transparent Aluminum?

[SeeK]

http://physicsweb.org/article/news/8/8/9

http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v430/n7001/abs/nature02729_fs.html

How long until we get parts made of this? It'll be hard to mill since it's a ceramic but so is Ti.

[MaChu]

Thats really cool, reminds me of that Star Trek movie where the Scottie guy wrote up transparent aluminum in like 3 seconds...ok so I watch a little too much TV. Very cool though.

[p8baller4life]

http://physicsweb.org/article/news/8/8/9

http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v430/n7001/abs/nature02729_fs.html

How long until we get parts made of this? It'll be hard to mill since it's a ceramic but so is Ti.

mixing glass with metals and other materials is old. It's done to change glass reflective properties not to make it stronger or unbreakable. for example: x ray room windows have special glass panels. It is glass mixed with lead and is completely transparent but won't allow x rays to pass through. A company I worked for imported some panels from Germany and the shipment came completely destroyed. (Somebody forgot to put a fragile Glass stiker on the crate.) The glass was not particulary heavier than regular glass and in any sense any stronger.

[BobTheCow]

Thats really cool, reminds me of that Star Trek movie where the Scottie guy wrote up transparent aluminum in like 3 seconds...ok so I watch a little too much TV. Very cool though.

That's the first thing I thought of, too!!

Quite interesting, though.

[_tMAN]

I remember seeing that too. I wonder when our space ships will come?

[Ironmag]

That's the first thing I thought of, too!!

Quite interesting, though.

Yup, me too. I wonder how strong is the stuff, how hard does it need to be hit before it shatters.

[dwab3000]

i want some...

and i thought of star trek too

[felony]

star trek owns. i immediatly thought of ST when i say the title.

[TransMan]

mixing glass with metals and other materials is old. It's done to change glass reflective properties not to make it stronger or unbreakable. for example: x ray room windows have special glass panels. It is glass mixed with lead and is completely transparent but won't allow x rays to pass through. A company I worked for imported some panels from Germany and the shipment came completely destroyed. (Somebody forgot to put a fragile Glass stiker on the crate.) The glass was not particulary heavier than regular glass and in any sense any stronger.

I dont think thats exactly what they were doing if i read the articals right the found a new way to make glass out of mostly alluminum and a few other materials and the new process alows them to make much larger amounts then they have been able to before. In this case the new glass is stronger then silica based glass and I would imagine somewhat lighter.

[The-Z-Man]

I also thought of ST also. Its kinda funny how he began to yell at the computer since he didnt know how you use the mouse.

[RamboPreacher]

I also thought of ST also. Its kinda funny how he began to yell at the computer since he didnt know how you use the mouse.

yell at the computer?!?! he started using the mouse as a microphone (at first).

[felony]

"hello computer" ::irish accent::

hahahah

[50 cal]

"A keyboard!" "How archaic!"

[The-Z-Man]

"Looking at those matrices it would take us years to figure them out." "Well maybe i can just press this delete button...'' Total PWNAGE!