Transparent aluminum

[JimC]

An ordinary piece of aluminium is always coated with a thin, transparent layer of aluminium oxide, bonded very stabily to the metal, which acts an an excellent protective layer to prevent corrosion, even though aluminium in itself is a very reactive metal...

[Xamonas Chegwé]

You're all missing the point.

Making it transparent is a piece of piss. Spelling it (not to mention pronouncing it) properly A-L-U-M-I-N-I-U-M, is the fucking problem! Especially among our colonial cousins!

[irreligionist]

You're all missing the point.

Making it transparent is a piece of piss. Spelling it (not to mention pronouncing it) properly A-L-U-M-I-N-I-U-M, is the fucking problem! Especially among our colonial cousins!

I'm glad someone sees the real issue here.

[Surendra Darathy]

I don't think Dev should get his transparent aluminium until he confesses to what nefarious use he intends to put it.....

Clothing.

Transparent aluminium foil can be made, but since this is achieved only by hard X ray bombardment of the sheet, the electron structure takes no time in returning to a more normal configuration, which restores opacity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_band_structure

In solid-state physics, the electronic band structure (or simply band structure) of a solid describes ranges of energy that an electron is "forbidden" or "allowed" to have. It is due to the diffraction of the quantum mechanical electron waves in the periodic crystal lattice. The band structure of a material determines several characteristics, in particular its electronic and optical properties.

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