Is Transparent Aluminum the Next Big Breakthrough in Glass Technology?

[bhusebye]

TL;DR

Just saw the link on PhysOrg about this subject. Reminds me of something..... Star Trekish

This link makes me fondly remember the goofy Star Trek to save the Blue Whales and how Scotty invented something he invented in the future with the help of Spock. Transparent Aluminum

https://phys.org/news/2019-11-aluminum-lasers-bendable-glass.html

 

[chemisttree]

More accurate to say sapphire than just aluminum. That’s like calling water “oxygen”, which every drowning victim will tell you, it ain’t.

 

[Joe591]

The closest thing to transparent aluminium that I've read about is Aluminum oxynitride . I think they use it for armoured vehicles in the military. Not sure how bendable it is though...but I think it proves that science fiction is a predicter of the future. Somewhere somebody is working on that last sci fi thing you saw in that one movie.