I was reading in the latest Popular Mechanics of a new ceramic that can take 3800 F or for you metric people ~2,093 C. It is some ultrahigh-temperature ceramic material created by scientists at Sandia National Laboratories.
I was reading that aluminum oxide has a pretty close melting point to the above and titanium dioxide mixed with silicon carbide makes a pretty high melting point compound too though, just now though surfing the net.
I have a ruby rod used for lasers and it is mostly Al2O3. It would be neat to have a jam jar made entirely of ruby, (aluminum oxide with trace minerals for red color). Sapphire is a term used for an aluminum oxide that is any color but red for the most part. I don't know the line of demarcation when a pink sapphire "becomes" a red ruby. Perhaps some rock hound could say.
But too I don't know also if rubies or sapphires could take sudden heat without fracture the way pure silicon dioxide can. Too tired to really research my wandering thoughts.
Mark
Material science stuff
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Mike Everman
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Hey, Mark. Howdy from Mexico!
I was just thinking last night about aluminum oxide, which is mostly what "hard" anodize is. I imagined vacuum forming an engine out of foil and having the platers build up .015-.020" thickness. Poof! Ceramic engines while you wait! I need to look into how much aluminum thickness you need to start with... you need enough to convert to oxide.
I was just thinking last night about aluminum oxide, which is mostly what "hard" anodize is. I imagined vacuum forming an engine out of foil and having the platers build up .015-.020" thickness. Poof! Ceramic engines while you wait! I need to look into how much aluminum thickness you need to start with... you need enough to convert to oxide.
Mike Often wrong, never unsure.
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