Star Trek predicts it again

by Diane Duane

The US Naval Research Laboratory announced a major breakthrough in materials science on Thursday. After decades of research and development, the NRL has created a transparent, bulletproof material that can be molded into virtually any shape. This material, known as Spinel, is made from a synthetic powdered clay that is heated and pressed under vacuum (aka sintered) into transparent sheets. “Spinel is actually a mineral, it’s magnesium aluminate,” Dr. Jas Sanghera, who leads the research, said in a statement. “The advantage is it’s so much tougher, stronger, harder than glass. It provides better protection in more hostile environments — so it can withstand sand and rain erosion.”

Source: Fark.com

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1 comment

Alex Besogonov April 27, 2015 - 9:34 am

Uhm.. We had sapphire glass since 40-s (yes, before the Star Trek). And sapphire is nothing else but a humble aluminum oxide.

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