What is Aluminium oxynitride used for?

In addition to being used as a transparent armor material, ALON is used as infrared-optical windows. As such it has applications as a sensor component, speciality IR domes, windows for laser communications, and in some semiconductor-related applications.

Can ALON be machined?

Like sapphire, ALON and spinel ceramics still need grinding and polishing, but their near-net shape formability in the green stage eliminates huge machining/optical fabrication costs. Embedded internal architecture within ALON optical ceramic components offers the potential for additional functionality.

Is aluminum oxynitride transparent?

Transparent aluminum, also known as aluminum oxynitride, is a transparent polycrystalline ceramic with a cubic spinel crystal structure made of nitrogen, oxygen and aluminum. It is optically transparent in the near-ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions.

Can aluminum be made transparent?

We cannot create transparent aluminum in real life, but we can get close with two transparent ceramics made from aluminum compounds: magnesium aluminate spinel and aluminum oxynitride.

What are the downsides to using transparent aluminum?

Let us discuss the drawbacks of using aluminum in car windows.

• Stiffness Of The Material. Transparent aluminum is not that hard when compared to today’s windshield glass.
• Highly Expensive. Transparent aluminum is much more costly then the regular glass or special windshield glass.
• Breaking Instead Of Shattering.

Is transparent aluminum expensive?

Traditional transparent armor costs less than $4 per square inch. The aluminum oxynitride is now at least $10 per square inch. That price would come down with mass production.

Is there such thing as transparent metal?

The aluminum is nearly invisible to extreme ultraviolet radiation. Oxford scientists have created a transparent form of aluminium by bombarding the metal with the world’s most powerful soft X-ray laser. ‘Transparent aluminium is just the start.

Why are some ceramics transparent?

Generally speaking, the opacity of polycrystalline ceramics is caused by the discontinuity of refraction coefficient between grains due to the randomness of arrangement orientation of non-equiaxed (cubic) grains, as well as the scattering caused by grain boundary effect and porosity.

What is the strongest transparent material?

Acrylic and polycarbonate are transparent plastics that are stronger than many other clear plastic sheet materials and are often used in architectural glazing applications when transparency and superior mechanical properties are required.

How much does aluminum oxynitride cost?

Cost and Production As you may have been able to predict, aluminum oxynitride is very expensive, around 5 times the price of regular glass. It costs $10–15 for one square inch, whereas glass costs around $3.25 for the amount. However, over time, the cost will definitely go down as it becomes mass produced.

What is Alon® or transparent aluminum?

ALON® or Aluminum Oxynitride is an amazing and unique transparent advanced ceramic that is polycrystalline (made from powder) with a cubic spinel crystal structure. In the popular media and in the Star Trek community, it is commonly referred to as Transparent Aluminum. Surmet is the only company globally, that manufactures ALON®.

What is Aluminium oxynitride?

ALON® or Aluminum Oxynitride is an amazing and unique transparent advanced ceramic that is polycrystalline (made from powder) with a cubic spinel crystal structure. In the popular media and in the Star Trek community, it is commonly referred to as Transparent Aluminum.

Why choose Alon® from Surmet?

Surmet is the only company globally, that manufactures ALON®. Taking over the development of ALON® from a laboratory demonstration stage in 2002, Surmet is proud to announce the commercial availability of ALON® in large volumes and in really large sizes.