Talk:Cargo:Transparent Aluminum

I hope you guys don't mind my attempts to 'harden' the sci-fi here. If it's inconvenient, feel free to remove it. -- 2005-06-02 04:25 GMT CoJL

truth be told, I never liked this cargo entry (reminded me too much of Star Trek IV) and I don't know that we'll be keeping it :-) jackS 18:56, 2 Jun 2005 (PDT)

IF we keep it we should include a comment about the usage in the Vegastrike universe (since most crafts/stations do not have a transparent part but a projected view of its surroundings) The usage is mentioned (HUD) but not if it is the main appliance. -- Pontiac 03:39, 3 Jun 2005 (PDT)

According to the Wikipedia, transparent aluminum is theoretically possible. However, we already do have transparent alumina (a form of aluminum oxide). In practice, it is likely that transparent aluminum would have limited usefulness since we already have the oxide form which is stronger than regular aluminum. We already have the means of producing this and it also occurs naturally in the form of rubies and sapphires (albeit with impurities that give it the color) Sbarbour June 3, 2005 14:52 (CDT)

A differential description of Alumina was already in the article. A shame that trans. Al. screams 'Trek' so bad, yeah, but we can always choose another way of making transparent electrosensitive displays. If you make the signal circuitry for a TFT LCD transparent, for instance, you'd have a transparent display. -- CoJL 00:58, 4 Jun 2005 (GMT)

There is a great number of alloys already. The official decision is to not keep it. Zeog 02:20, 31 August 2006 (PDT)