Transparent aluminum (or aluminium) is a fictional material in the Star Trek universe, popularized in the 1986 film, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (STTVH). Though long considered just a work of science fiction, transparent aluminum is actually similar to real substances. The chemical formula for transparent aluminum plays a key role in the plot of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series and media franchise. ... // April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Gos Belinda Carlisle Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver. ... Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Paramount Pictures, 1986; see also 1986 in film) is the fourth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... A chemical formula is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ...

An earlier reference to this fictional material was made on an episode of Battle Star Galactica (original 1978 series), the episode was "The Hand of God", aired April 29th, 1979. The reference was to the construction of the last of the ancient battlestar's astro-navigational domes, Apollo points out to Sheba that the dome was made from transparent aluminum.

Star Trek

In STTVH, panels of acrylic glass were acquired for construction of water tanks with a thickness suitable for containing two humpback whales and tonnes of water. However, the Enterprise crew, without money appropriate to the period, found it necessary to barter with Plexicorp (a fictional manufacturer) for the materials required for the task. In exchange for the acrylic glass, Chief Engineer Scott shares the chemical formula for transparent aluminum. Although the molecular model shown on the computer screen is represented as transparent aluminum, it is actually that of Lexan, a polycarbonate resin made by GE Plastics.^{[citation needed]} Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or poly (methyl 2-methylpropenoate) is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. ... Binomial name Megaptera novaeangliae Borowski, 1781 Humpback Whale range The Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, is a baleen whale. ... Scotty redirects here. ... A chemical formula is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... A molecular model, in this article, is a physical model that represents molecules and their processes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ge may refer to: Gê, a group of indigenous Brazilian tribes and their Ge languages Ge (Cyrillic) (Г, г), a letter of the Cyrillic alphabet Ge with upturn (Ґ, ґ), a letter of the Ukrainian alphabet Nikolai Ge, a Russian painter Gē, an ancient Chinese dagger-axe Ge (genus), a genus of butterflies Also...

There is some question whether this transfer of technology actually results in a predestination paradox where transparent aluminum is actually never invented by anyone. Scotty, who gives the formula to Dr. Nichols in the twentieth century, implies that it was Dr. Nichols who may have introduced transparent aluminum to the world (thus allowing Scotty to learn the formula in the twenty-third century), raising the question of where the formula originated. A predestination paradox, also called either a causal loop, or a causality loop and (less frequently) either a closed loop or closed time loop, is a paradox of time travel that is often used as a convention in science fiction. ...

Star Trek technical manuals indicate transparent aluminum is used in various fittings in starships, including exterior ship portals and windows. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “In Theory,” a subspace anomaly alters the transparent aluminum windows creating a hull breach in the observation lounge. The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... In Theory is an episode of the fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. ...

Transparent aluminum in the real world

These are presently produced through the chemical bonding of aluminium with appropriate elements in transparent alumina and in ruby, corundum, sapphire, and related aluminium compounds. Traditional photonic bandgaps, based on introducing spatial holes in aluminium, are likewise possible, but these would require the introduction of numerous physical holes with roughly the diameter of the wavelengths of light for which transparency were desired; but such would presumably weaken aluminium structures. “Aluminum” redirects here. ... Corundum (from Tamil kurundam) is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide and one of the rock-forming minerals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Corundum (from Tamil kurundam) is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide and one of the rock-forming minerals. ... For other uses, see Sapphire (disambiguation). ...

Transparent alumina

Main article: transparent alumina

Aluminium oxide, a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen (Al₂O₃) is made transparent through a process of fusing fine particles. Corundum (from Tamil kurundam) is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide and one of the rock-forming minerals. ... Aluminium oxide is an amphoteric oxide of aluminium with the chemical formula Al2O3. ...

Nanophase aluminium

Real transparent aluminium can and has been made by using nanophase aluminium. This is aluminium composed of nanometre scale particles as a solid transparent material, whose color can be varied by sizing the particles differently. The particles themselves are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light. Nanophase materials are usually transparent and very hard, with color depending on the size of the particles. A nanometre (American spelling: nanometer, symbol nm) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand-millionth of a metre, which is the current SI base unit of length. ... The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. ... The optical spectrum (light or visible spectrum) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. ... Nanophase Material are material that have grain sizes under 100 nanometres (typically 0. ...

Aluminium oxynitride (AlON)

Aluminium oxynitride (Al₂₃O₂₇N₅) marketed under the name ALON is an aluminium composite, having the optical transparency properties of glass, yet four times the strength and hardness.[1] Aluminium oxynitride (AlON) is a transparent ceramic composed of aluminium, oxygen and nitrogen. ...

External links

• Transparent aluminum article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
• Jeffrey de Fourestier, "The Mineralogy of Star Trek"
• Surmet Corporation's ALON™ website