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Transparent Aluminum Armor Tested By Military
Transparent aluminum armor (aluminum oxynitride - ALON) is being tested by the military as a lighter and stronger alternative to traditional materials.
ALON is a ceramic compound with very high compressive strength and durability; it offers better performance than traditional materials consisting of bonded glass. The new transparent aluminum armor uses ALON as a strike plate, a middle section of glass and a polymer backing. It provides better protection against armor piercing threats at half the weight and half the thickness of glass. It also appears to have a much longer life expectancy than glass.
(Aluminum Oxynitride (ALON) armor - ballistic protection at half weight and thickness)
In extensive testing, ALON has performed well against multiple hits of .30 caliber armor piercing rounds -- typical of anti-aircraft fire. Tests focusing on multiple hits from .50 caliber rounds and improvised explosive devices are in the works.
("Hello computer" - Scotty vs. primitive 20th century computers)
Star Trek fans are of course familiar with Scotty (above) passing on the formula for transparent aluminum (inspite of primitive computer technology) to an alert 20th century executive.
(The completed formula for transparent aluminum)
Read more at the source; thanks to Matt, Andrew, Winchell, and Steve for a multiple heads-up on this story. Unfortunately, I had an article to finish for Ad Astra today, and couldn't get to it until evening.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/18/2005)
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Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
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