Transparent Aluminum Oxide- from Star Trek!



TAIOx, or transparent aluminum oxide is it real material. Years ago, it did make an appearance on Star Trek, used for both starship windows and space aquariums.
It is very hard and resistant to scratches And a perfect protective coating on electronics, solar panels, and optical sensors.
The methods for making TAIOx are costly and complex. It requires large vats of dangerous chemicals, vacuum chambers, and high-powered lasers. A change is being brought fourth by a few Filipino scientists from the Ateneode Manila University. 
Instead of dipping entire sheets of metal in a large vats of acid, the scientists applied micro droplets of acid onto small aluminum surfaces. They then applied 2 V of electricity (About an AA battery). The team realized this was all that was needed to transform metal into the TAIOx.
The group published their work in the journal Langmuir. 
The new process is named droplet scale anodization. It is a much simpler way to manufacture TAIOx, but also environmentally friendly because it cuts down on energy use and chemical waste.
The technique uses a particular effect called “electrowetting”. This is where an electric field changes the properties of a droplet. It allows for control over the entire anodization process. 
This new application might make TAIOx cheaper and more accessible to manufacture.

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