[APD] So thats what Scotty was looking for!!

["Robert Flory" <wyogeo at astound_net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <aquatic-plants-request at actwin_com>
Message: 10
> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 04:07:55 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Charley Bay <charleyb123 at yahoo_com>
> Subject: [APD] Transparent Aluminum Ceramic  -- The new glass?
> To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
> 
> A new material, ALONtm, is essentially a transparent
> aluminum ceramic (a corund-like substance), many times
> stronger than glass.  It's being tested for ballistic
> protection by the military (windows on vehicles and
> aircraft, etc.)
> 
> It's *very* resistent to wear and scratching, and
> can resist heavy ballistic impact.  Currently it's
> expensive ... $10-$15 per square inch, compared to
> glass ballistic laminates at $3 per square inch.
> (The price will come down as they figure out 
> manufacturing scaling.)
> 
> I'm particularly curious about the index of 
> refraction, or transmission efficiency (which isn't
> mentioned in the article).  But, this stuff is
> *much* lighter and thinner than glass, and very
> much stronger ... sounds like millimeters instead
> of inches for the same strength.
> 
> When they make it cost effective, though, this 
> stuff could be *ideal* for our planted tanks
> (especially for marine systems with very abrasive
> substrates and precipitates, and weird critters that
> like to break the sides of tanks).
> 
> <http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123012131>
> 
> Of course, "Sapphire" glass is basically a crystal
> aluminum oxide (first synthesized 100 years ago),
> and is scratch resistent, so this isn't entirely
> new.  This does sound like some very good tech
> for materials science, though, particularly relevant
> to aquariums.
> 
> --charley
> 
Must be what Scotty wanted to build the whale tanks with ;-)

Bob

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