Why is ALON transparent?

Since it has a cubic spinel structure, it can be fabricated to transparent windows, plates, domes, rods, tubes and other forms using conventional ceramic powder processing techniques. ALON is the hardest polycrystalline transparent ceramic available commercially.

How much does ALON cost?

Glass costs about $3.25 per square inch, while ALON runs between $10 and $15 per square inch, he said.

Who makes ALON glass?

The ceramic is now manufactured routinely in sizes up to 8 square feet by Surmet Corporation, a manufacturer of advanced material components, under the trademarked name ALON.

Who manufactures Transparent aluminum?

Surmet Engineering
Surmet Engineering Better Material Solutions In the popular media and in the Star Trek community, it is commonly referred to as Transparent Aluminum. Surmet is the only company globally, that manufactures ALON®.

What are the downsides of using transparent alumina?

Let us discuss the drawbacks of using aluminum in car windows.

• Stiffness Of The Material. Transparent aluminum is not that hard when compared to today’s windshield glass.
• Highly Expensive. Transparent aluminum is much more costly then the regular glass or special windshield glass.
• Breaking Instead Of Shattering.

What problem does transparent aluminum solve?

Applications. Some of the applications of transparent aluminum include the following: Various defense applications like Recce sensor windows, transparent armor, windows for laser communications and specialty IR domes with different shapes that include hemispherical and hyper-hemispherical domes.

Is transparent aluminum expensive?

As you may have been able to predict, aluminum oxynitride is very expensive, around 5 times the price of regular glass. It costs $10–15 for one square inch, whereas glass costs around $3.25 for the amount. However, over time, the cost will definitely go down as it becomes mass produced.

Is transparent aluminum bulletproof?

Aluminum armor can deflect the same rounds from small-caliber weapons as traditional bulletproof glass, but it will still be more clearly transparent even after being shot. Transparent aluminum armor can be anywhere from three to five times as much to produce as traditional bulletproof glass.

How is ALON manufactured?

Commercial optical ALON is made by reacting the raw materials, pressing them into a near-finished shape, and firing at a high temperature to produce a fully dense, transparent ceramic.

What are the downsides to using transparent aluminum?

Who produces ALON?

Surmet
Surmet is the only company globally, that manufactures ALON®.

Why choose sursurmet for Alon?

Surmet also supplies ALON domes and windows for infrared optics applications including IR guided missiles, sensor and reconnaissance pods for both ground vehicles and helicopters/aircraft. Learn More. ALON Transparent Armor Live Action Testing Video.

What is Alon® or transparent aluminum?

ALON® or Aluminum Oxynitride is an amazing and unique transparent advanced ceramic that is polycrystalline (made from powder) with a cubic spinel crystal structure. In the popular media and in the Star Trek community, it is commonly referred to as Transparent Aluminum. Surmet is the only company globally, that manufactures ALON®.

What is Alon®?

Technology and Manufacturing Capabilities ALON® or Aluminum Oxynitride is an amazing and unique transparent advanced ceramic that is polycrystalline (made from powder) with a cubic spinel crystal structure. In the popular media and in the Star Trek community, it is commonly referred to as Transparent Aluminum.

What is sursurmet’s technology?

Surmet’s transparent armor has obtained FAA certification and has been inserted onto flying aircraft. Direct Fire and Blast Protection. ALON® armor solutions provide a 50% reduction in weight and thickness compared to current glass-based solutions.