Yes believe it or not…transparent aluminium!! It is an absolute delight when science fiction become true. Star Trek fans would get the reference here but for those who do not…in the movie Star Trek IV:The Voyage Home, one of the central characters gives away the secret to manufacture a tank using a relatively futuristic element to carry hunchback whales required to get back and save their home! The secret given by the way, was of course, to build a transparent aluminium tank.Well we could say that it is in the act of becoming real.
The concept is relatively an old one which came about in the 1950s but implementation took time. The Star Trek movie came about in 1986 so we know it was already in the mind of scientists for quite some time. Basically the entire idea doesn’t mean using only aluminium, instead it is combined with ceramic material to give the transparency and also significant properties. So the material is actually a transparent alumina ceramic, scientifically known as Aluminium oxynitride or AION. It is a ceramic which composes of aluminium, oxygen and nitrogen. Commercially, it is known as ALON which is being marketed by Surmet Corporation. Its crystal structure, mechanical and optical properties make it one of the lightest and hardest transparent materials. According to Wikipedia, AION is the hardest polycrystalline transparent ceramic available commercially. So where does its significance lie?
It is found to be four times harder than traditional glass…or transparent silica glass and 85% as hard as sapphire which is one of the most hardest substances found on earth. So the dual property of being a light material which is at the same time really hard gives it pretty cool applications. In military, it is currently being tested in comparison with the usual bullet resistant glass. As expected it was found to resist bullet fire rounds that usually pierce the bullet resistant glass. Moreover, it’s lightweight property made it a very light fit in the armory tank. It can work as a transparent aluminium armor on the whole. A big plus is the fact that it rarely needs replacement and lasts long unlike glass. But why the hold up in its widespread production?
The main reason behind its stagnancy in production is huge expenditure. The development of this material requires a considerable amount of money. Also, the infrastructure required to produce this material in bulk has not yet been manufactured. For the material to work, it requires the base elements in the right composition and also the manufacturing process needs to be meticulous.
The idea of AION seems good and hopefully when scientists find a way to weigh down costs in production, it may come to the fore. Till then, transparent bulletproof glass will remain the primary material in need. Check out the .50 caliber test on ALON.
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