Transparent Armor from NRL; Spinel Could Also Ruggedize Your Smart Phone
The Naval Research Lab has been working with a moldable transparent material, a synthetic version of the semi-precious gemstone spinel. A fine powder is put into a mold and pressed under heat and vacuum, and viola, a transparent material stronger than armor glass (which is made of laminates of glass and plastic, limiting geometry) is produced. The end result is is a bulletproof transparent object (transparent to infra-red, opening up laser options) of potentially complex geometry. The chemical composition is MgAl2O4. Yes… transparent aluminum.
This dome looks like it could use some polishing. Still, the usefulness of a more-or-less unbreakable transparent material that is readily moldable cannot be overstated.
For instance: Probably not, but could the frame of a pistol be made of this stuff, and would it be survivable? Would a transparent gun make the slightest bit of sense? Not at all. Would it be cool? Oh, my, yes.