Transparent Aluminum: AKA synthetic sapphire

[wbnc]

Just happened to think about this clip as I was writing another post...The term transparent aluminum was a catch word for wonder metals used in Star Trek on several occasions. Seems this wonder material is now available in the form of synthetic sapphires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLhxm4GVI1I

Currently, the size of the object being formed of synthetic sapphire is limited by the production process but this is the first generation of the technology. so cost and size of components made from the material are still limited. If mass production/large scale techniques are developed using it for viewports, partitions, and even armor would not be impractical. All you need is a crucible large enough to form a multi-ton block. And a healthy supply of aluminum oxide.

 

[-Daniel-]

Seems this wonder material is now available in the form of synthetic sapphires.

My wife loves real sapphires. I think she would get a kick out of the idea of spaceships made out of sapphires.

 

[Infojunky]

Sheets of optically clear synthetic Diamond wave been a thing in Traveller, so synthetic sapphire isn't a push....

 

[wbnc]

Sheets of optically clear synthetic Diamond wave been a thing in Traveller, so synthetic sapphire isn't a push....

thats what I love abut leading edge material science some of the substances that they are creating are insane. Iron-titanium foam, boron carbide. aerogels they have properties that make sci-fi wonderanium, and unobtanium look..not quite so out of the ballpark.

Seems this wonder material is now available in the form of synthetic sapphires.

My wife loves real sapphires. I think she would get a kick out of the idea of spaceships made out of sapphires.

Yeah well, she can go buy a sapphire glass screen protector for her smartphone soon ...hmm now i know what they make the windows in the fallout game out of ..ya know the ones ya can't shoot through break..and survived a nuclear war and 200 years in a blasted wasteland.

 

[Reynard]

"Ruby is distinguished for its bright red color, being the most famed and fabled red gemstone. Beside for its bright color, it is a most desirable gem due to its hardness, durability, luster, and rarity. Transparent rubies of large sizes are even rarer than Diamonds. Ruby is the red variety of the mineral Corundum. Sapphire, the other gem variety of Corundum, encompasses all colors of Corundum aside from red. In essence, Ruby is a red Sapphire, since Ruby and Sapphire are identical in all properties except for color. However, because of the special allure and historical significance, Ruby has always been classified as an individual gemstone, and is never identified as a form of Sapphire (though some purplish-red colors may straddle the line of being classified as either Ruby or Sapphire)."

So, not aluminum. Transparent corundum in a variety of colors, That would mean various growable crystals in various colors. Could these be lenses for large energy weapons? And does this really mean, as Amos and Andy once stated, diamonds is worthless?

 

[wbnc]

"Ruby is distinguished for its bright red color, being the most famed and fabled red gemstone. Beside for its bright color, it is a most desirable gem due to its hardness, durability, luster, and rarity. Transparent rubies of large sizes are even rarer than Diamonds. Ruby is the red variety of the mineral Corundum. Sapphire, the other gem variety of Corundum, encompasses all colors of Corundum aside from red. In essence, Ruby is a red Sapphire, since Ruby and Sapphire are identical in all properties except for color. However, because of the special allure and historical significance, Ruby has always been classified as an individual gemstone, and is never identified as a form of Sapphire (though some purplish-red colors may straddle the line of being classified as either Ruby or Sapphire)."

So, not aluminum. Transparent corundum in a variety of colors, That would mean various growable crystals in various colors. Could these be lenses for large energy weapons? And does this really mean, as Amos and Andy once stated, diamonds is worthless?

diamonds are best used in a crushed state to make working tools As "bling" they are completely wasted.

To form an artificial sapphire they use corundum as the base material. then heat it to a molten state. as they slowly bring down the temperature the corundum aggregates on a seed of sapphire. Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminum as well. The color hardness and luster of the gems are determined by the temperatures they formed at and the impurities that were in the crystal as it formed. When they create a pure sapphire with no impurities it is totally clear.

As components for a directed energy weapon, Sapphire/ruby is a pretty good choice, extremely shock and heat resistant, excellent optical properties. and you can precisely control what impurities you want in the material to adjust those properties.

An even bigger advance would be using the synthetic sapphire/ruby for Holographic data storage. a storage media that is almost indestructible by environmental factors, EMP resistant, and will not degrade with use or time.

 

[-Daniel-]

An even bigger advance would be using the synthetic sapphire/ruby for Holographic data storage. a storage media that is almost indestructible by environmental factors, EMP resistant, and will not degrade with use or time.

Now that is a great idea. I like it a lot.

 

[wbnc]

An even bigger advance would be using the synthetic sapphire/ruby for Holographic data storage. a storage media that is almost indestructible by environmental factors, EMP resistant, and will not degrade with use or time.

Now that is a great idea. I like it a lot.

"Data Crystals" have always been a fixture in a lot of sci-fi, but now they are actually a real prospect.

 

[-Daniel-]

An even bigger advance would be using the synthetic sapphire/ruby for Holographic data storage. a storage media that is almost indestructible by environmental factors, EMP resistant, and will not degrade with use or time.

Now that is a great idea. I like it a lot.

"Data Crystals" have always been a fixture in a lot of sci-fi, but now they are actually a real prospect.

Yes I know they are a fictional staple. It is the possable reality that I liked. :mrgreen:

 

[Condottiere]

Crystalize diamonds, or make them bonded and superdense at technological level fourteen.

What are starship windscreens made out of, anyway?

 

[wbnc]

Crystalize diamonds, or make them bonded and superdense at technological level fourteen.

What are starship windscreens made out of, anyway?

Probably a composite of Synthetic diamond,sapphire, ruby, doped with various metals to allow them to resist radiation.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[wbnc]

A lovely ring how many carats?

 

[Condottiere]

I'll speculate on twenty four.