Sep 15 2010The Future Is Now!: Transparent Aluminum
See-through metal, yo. What's next, opaque gas? "Whoa GW, you've got a mysterious brown aura about you. Also *choking* -- why's it smell like somebody died in here?" IT WAS THE DOG, I SWEAR!
Stronger than glass, various military and commercial applications for this remarkable material are already being tested. What was once used in the science-fiction Star Trek movies, see-through aluminum is now something that - through test mixing with rubies, sapphires and more - is now being tried out in all kinds of ways to create transparency where strength is also required.
For now, it is used in static-free transparent aluminum wrapping for computer parts and other electronics. It is also being tested in otherwise-conventional see-through soda cans and military shielding for vehicles where windows once were. At over ten dollars per square inch, however, it is still not cheap enough for mainstream everyday use - but may be someday soon.
Now I'm not saying they should start manufacturing women's restrooms out of this stuff, but you've got to admit in this age of terrorism, bomb-proofing should be an important bathroom-security concern. Haha, see where I'm going with this? Home to get my video camera!
Transparent Aluminum: Real, Glass-Like, See-Through Metal [dornob]
Thanks M_D, who invented invisible metal but The Fantastic Four bought the patent and buried it because they wanted The Invisible Woman to still feel special. *sniff* I'm sorry that was just so touching.
Reader Comments
1. UNO! - September 15, 2010 3:24 PM
COOL!
2. Dman - September 15, 2010 3:27 PM
From Star Trek IV
3. DH - September 15, 2010 3:28 PM
WOMEN'S RESTROOMS L M F A O
GW you so funny
4. Eddie69 - September 15, 2010 3:32 PM
Yeah, Scotty's formula
5. Ace - September 15, 2010 3:34 PM
Can you say, "Government spending"?
They can has. Lots.
6. Daddysharky - September 15, 2010 3:34 PM
How Funny that something else from star trek is comming true... thumbs up scotty... save those wales!
7. Richard McBeef's Mama - September 15, 2010 3:38 PM
You try to video record me dropping a deuce and I'll fling it at you like a crazed garil grill goral.. big ape!! I know, I suck fat sauas sasag sasu.. penis.
8. Liquid Tension - September 15, 2010 3:40 PM
Nice a transparent megatron on the way.....
9. That Guy - September 15, 2010 3:45 PM
You would get a hell of a good can return on that stuff.
10. wes g - September 15, 2010 4:13 PM
by the way, that lychee drink is pretty tasty and can be found at most asian groceries
11. (-.-) OJ's Mom (-.-) - September 15, 2010 4:28 PM
See through trailer parks? America is doomed.
12. Joe Mama - September 15, 2010 4:31 PM
Bring back Crystal Pepsi, dammit!
13. Anubis09 - September 15, 2010 4:33 PM
Nerd Alert!!! Transparisteel Anyone?
14. Abriel Olive - September 15, 2010 4:36 PM
Ya but can you crush it on your forehead? Whatever!
15. McFeely Smackup - September 15, 2010 4:49 PM
this doesn't belong here. this was Star Trek, not Star WARS. moron.
16. Compound9 - September 15, 2010 4:53 PM
Fake. Not entirely. I read the article about the transparent aluminum which is cool. my call is on the Cottle or Plastic can in the bottom right corner of the picture, that product is not transparent aluminum it is just a plastic bottle with an aluminum top, it requires a fairly specialized production and I believe japan has the only facility to make them.
transparent aluminum is f-ing awesome and i cant wait till its completely mainstream.
17. ShitBitch Carl - September 15, 2010 5:03 PM
Uh, I don't think this is a stable state of aluminum (given that's it's a core electron transition related phenomenon). And I don't think the quantities being reported here are realistic.
http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/v5/n9/abs/nphys1341.html
Are there any better sources for information on this?
18. the future - September 15, 2010 5:17 PM
so.. invisible robots... we're f-ed
19. HarryKim - September 15, 2010 5:18 PM
Transparent metal clothing for Seven of Nine. DO WANT.
20. Frolicking amongst the War Machines - September 15, 2010 5:31 PM
It's about time.
21. zwei - September 15, 2010 6:15 PM
Not exactly news, there several approaches to making transparent alumina. Most of them aren't "real" aluminum, but actually ceramics.
One of them is Aluminum Oxynitride, or AlOn for short, which is being tested by the air force as far as I know.
Then there are transparent ceramic nanomaterials, like the one developed by the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, which are made up of tiny pebbles.
This material is full of nanoscopic holes placed strategically according to the wavelengths that should pass through it.
22. Pepe La PEWPEW - September 15, 2010 7:50 PM
Oh Computer ? Hello Computer, hmmm not there yet
PEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEWPEW
23. Ben Shit - September 15, 2010 8:56 PM
holy shit, star treck IV, scottie invented this shit! mabey we need to save the wales again.
24. the heat - September 15, 2010 9:50 PM
yeah, those photos are bull-shit. Look at the top one, with the german writing. It says something about ceramic. That's okay, I guess. But those bottom photos are crap. One is cellophane, and the other is some plastic, like 16 said.
25. turbogoliath - September 15, 2010 11:51 PM
when you weld that shit is going to look ugly
26. Peter Pedro - September 15, 2010 11:53 PM
Freaking "SafeBrowsing" is blocking this site.
27. Al Gore - September 16, 2010 12:17 AM
I invented this.
28. laustinspace42 - September 16, 2010 12:25 AM
montgomery scott gave the formula to the plexiglass people in 1986, they just now figured it out
29. siledas - September 16, 2010 12:38 AM
you should be reporting on a time machine being invented because this story is old as balls.
30. tn11 - September 16, 2010 2:17 AM
*sighh* this is not new in the slightest. I am disappointed in you Geekologie readers- doesn't anyone read "Cracked"??
http://www.cracked.com/article_17476_p2.html
Extremely informative and hilarious site, if you haven't checked it out do so. It is amazing. Not only is transparent aluminum in the article (which was written in June of 2009), so are ferrofluids, the freakiest known substances in the universe. scary shit yo.
31. Alf - September 16, 2010 6:33 AM
Firefox just told me this webpage was a reported "Attack Site"????
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33. Fly - September 16, 2010 10:22 AM
It's true, I've had that soda in the bottom corner many times and it's made from plastic, not aluminum.
34. SLZY - September 16, 2010 1:21 PM
Awesome Post, 15 years late? what :/
35. cabbo - September 16, 2010 4:24 PM
Hello computer?
36. paul. - September 17, 2010 10:49 AM
@35
A keyboard? How quaint.
37. Ed - September 17, 2010 12:49 PM
Ten dollars per square inch and they're using it for see through soda cans? Gee i always wondered if the soda was a different color before the can opened, I guess I'll pay an extra $200 to find out.
38. Vadim - September 17, 2010 4:52 PM
Oh no! Somebody's invented the bulletproof windo...oh, wait, nevermind!
39. amer saeed - December 22, 2010 7:37 AM
such an exiting product
but i m wondring if you can print on it
and what kind of the ink you need
solvent or pigment or any other witch i m not aware of
40. Robert - December 28, 2010 1:56 AM
Hype Hype Hype
To bump up funding for research. A few examples would be transparent solar cells with 80% efficiency,
transparent displays layered to generate volumetric aka solid state
3d displays, transparent semiconductors for direct optical buss feeds
with out parasitic capacitance, 3 gig clocks goto 100gig true parallel
processor with optical conduit. Just to name a few applications if
this was a true transparent conductor. and not HYPE.
Just some thoughts
Rob