The National Research University recently teamed up with researchers from several other high-end institutions to form a method that can be used to produce aluminum oxynitride compacts. Their findings have been recorded and published in the Materials Science and Engineering section of the IOP Conference Series.
The process of creating the see-through aluminum was an interesting one. Researchers used something called spark-plasma sintering, a method much like hot pressing, but with a few modifications. Participants pass an electrical current through the pressing billet and mold of the system, leaving the external heater without electricity. With several sudden, rapid waves pushed through the system, the material heats up extremely quickly.
Aluminum oxynitride could have several real-world applications if companies give it a shot. It reportedly has the appearance of glass with much more durability, outdoing that of quartz, spinel, and leucosapphire. Amazingly, its strength is on par with yttrium aluminum garnet and cubic zirconia.
This new material certainly seems to be something out of science fiction - more specifically, Star Trek. Transparent
aluminum sheet was used in the fourth movie of the series, inspiring scientists to create a real-life equivalent. Though the Institute’s process is new, transparent aluminum has been created in the past. When tested in practical situations, it proved to be 400% stronger than aluminosilicate glass and better able to withstand scratches. The see-through metallic material can even handle bouts of extreme heat, retaining its shape and structure when in 2100 degrees Celsius conditions.
For the most part, aluminum oxynitride will be used in the construction of armour, artillery, and other heavy weaponry so machines can withstand attacks that were previously fatal. It could play a huge role in the creation of polycrystalline ceramics in the near future, changing the way protective items are viewed and used. So far, the most effective way to create these ceramics is through the sintering process that the National Research University and its partners came up with.
Civilians may eventually have access to transparent aluminum, too. With more work, it could soon be used in the building of windows for cars and houses. With the spark-plasma sintering breakthrough, aluminum oxynitride could be applicable nearly everywhe