Transparent Aluminium baby!

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:35 am

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

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:39 am

Thought that was introduced in the late 80's when Scotty gave out the formula when they traveled back in time to save the whales.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:48 am

lol.....ive been waiting for the day someone would actually create that stuff.

Thanx for the link Flip

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:49 am

This is really cool, thanks for the link

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:54 am

I wonder how strong it is relative to common use glasses.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:00 pm

think about CRT based TV's for instance. you hit the glass just right with a object....KABOOOM screen implodes with enough force to send glass and near-by objects flying.

use transparent aluminum, now you have the strength of metal, with the clarity of glass.

thats the kind of strength transparent aluminum will offer, and it will be come even stronger and clearer once the scientists refine and optimize the formula.

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:10 pm

AceCombat wrote:...thats the kind of strength transparent aluminum will offer...

0_o

Wolf on Air · Post by **Wolf on Air** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:24 pm

Ace, stop watching Star Trek.

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:28 pm

The question wasn't asked nor was it answered about the strength of this new material directly compaired to aluminum alloys we are used to using now. So, while I can appreciate your excitement, you are talking out of you’re a$$ again, Ace.

This is not even close to something you should base your oppinions on. This is a very rough idea, not a definitive answer

"They found that their samples were much harder than conventional silica-based glasses and were almost as hard as pure polycrystalline alumina."

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 12:47 pm

Top Wop wrote:Thought that was introduced in the late 80's when Scotty gave out the formula when they traveled back in time to save the whales.

dude, you so own this thread. beat me and everyone.

for the record, i was expecting this thread to be about transparent aluminum infants.

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 1:36 pm

One point to Flip for getting "Aluminium" right

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:32 pm

The question I have is: Does Transparent Aluminium still conduct electricity like normal aluminium? If so, then can we then assume it would be a bad idea to use it as the screen on a CRT monitor yes?

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 2:51 pm

good if we send one to Ace

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:06 pm

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:54 pm

STRESSTEST wrote:good if we send one to Ace

Sage wrote:y

Take the cover off your CRT monitor, and touch the tube part of it... If you wanna die that is. ZAP FZZZZZT!

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:01 pm

um.. i thought the whole "transparent aluminum" thing was a modified version of polymer, not glass. ?

This stuff sounds really cool, also really expensive.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:52 pm

STRESSTEST wrote:This is not even close to something you should base your oppinions on. This is a very rough idea, not a definitive answer

"They found that their samples were much harder than conventional silica-based glasses and were almost as hard as pure polycrystalline alumina."

notice i said.......

AceCombat wrote:use transparent aluminum, now you have the strength of metal, with the clarity of glass.

thats the kind of strength transparent aluminum will offer, and it will be come even stronger and clearer once the scientists refine and optimize the formula.

Pun · Post by **Pun** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:05 pm

Ace, you have no idea what you're talking about.

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:26 pm

<---- optimize this ace

BUBBALOU · Post by **BUBBALOU** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 6:45 pm

feels like old times. fAce-rant Stress-stomp do wa didi dumb did do!

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 7:35 pm

punisher wrote:Ace, you have no idea what you're talking about.

exactly, better watch out, he prolly has a degree in polymers like that f-14 pilot liscense

Sickone · Post by **Sickone** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:04 pm

for the record Ace, CRT's do not Explode, they implode.

CRT's have a very strong vacuum, so when the face is cracked, it SUCKS the fractured glass inward. The CRT is funnel shaped, and as the glass is sucked to the back, and bounces back out... it is a ricochets out.

For years the tube itselff has had a high impact glass lense over the actual face.

Also, a common practice when disposing of a dead CRT is to to crack the CRT gooseneck and release the vacuum so it is no longer anything but a bunch of glass

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:36 pm

Sickone wrote:for the record Ace, CRT's do not Explode, they implode.

Dude, hate to break it to ya, he did say implode. ... He just prefaced it with: KA-BOOOM!

.. which could be interesting.. lol

Capm · Post by **Capm** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:41 pm

Actually, I believe the point Ace was trying to make was that in the near future, we'll be able to see many applications for super-tough "glass" if you will, where this new method will have many benefits, especially after they improve the formula. CRT's being one of these applications, where instead of it shattering and imploding, you would just have a puncture hole and no mess.

Unfortunately, it was Ace talking, and it came out all screwed up.

Of course, knowing next to nothing about the technology or property of the material, it may shatter just like glass at a certain point. So the speculation was probably premature anyway.

Mr. Perfect · Post by **Mr. Perfect** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:45 pm

Like CRTs will be around that long...

Still, that's a really fun find.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:52 pm

thank you Capm.

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:22 pm

if someone can get me the formula i can make this stuff at work and sell it for a hugely discounted price

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:32 pm

Kurupt: decipher this

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 9:53 pm

it basically says that we cant really do it yet, no? my head hurts and i stopped reading about 3/4 of the way through

[]V[]essenjah · Post by **[]V[]essenjah** » Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:11 pm

Duper wrote:
Sickone wrote:for the record Ace, CRT's do not Explode, they implode.
Dude, hate to break it to ya, he did say implode. ... He just prefaced it with: KA-BOOOM!

.. which could be interesting.. lol

Duuude, it's MOOOB-ACK!

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:18 am

Yep - thank heavens a few of you know how to spell the element Aluminium.

The best line in that movie had to be Scotty sitting in front of the keyboard saying "Computer? ..... Computer?" and then, "Oh, a keyboard, how quaint!"

Richard Cranium · Post by **Richard Cranium** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 7:37 am

"They found that their samples were much harder than conventional silica-based glasses and were almost as hard as pure polycrystalline alumina."

The hardening process makes other metals brittle so maybe this will fracture easy. This is cool though.

aldel · Post by **aldel** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 8:23 am

Just to clarify: this stuff is glass, not metal. I'm sure some of you understood this already, but it seemed like some people didn't.

"almost as hard as pure polycrystalline alumina" means it's almost as hard as the sand on conventional sandpaper. This is totally different from being almost as strong as solid metallic aluminum. Hardness != strength and alumina != aluminum.

Jagger · Post by **Jagger** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:37 pm

Palzon wrote: for the record, i was expecting this thread to be about transparent aluminum infants.

Oh good, I wasn't the only one.

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 8:58 pm

seriously, when this stuff comes out i can make it. i make polymers in the lab all the time. mostly for ford, chrysler, gm, wilson (golf balls are from me!!!!) and many other things. i'm sure we'll be in on this sooner or later over at americhem.

so when we do, i'll start the bidding at $5.00

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 9:50 pm

Dude, golf balls own.

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:59 pm

making the neon green ones are soooooo fvcking annoying. you get a drop of black or something in it and it comes out sh1t colored greenbrown.

Lobber · Post by **Lobber** » Tue Aug 24, 2004 11:03 pm

You do realize this is a glass, and not a thermosetting polymer, do you not? You can no more make a strong aluminum polymer glass (a contradiction in terms) from alumina oxide than you can make a strong steel girder from rust, iron oxide.

No, what's most remarkable about this material isn't its tensile strength, but its optical properties. Meaning that while it is probably extremely fragile, it would make very good lenses for optical applications.