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Aluminum oxynitride is a transparent ceramic material that was developed in the 1980s by US Air Force Research Laboratory working with Raytheon Electronic Systems. It’s a tough, lightweight, optically transparent ceramic that has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is very durable.
It’s also very low density and has excellent optical transparency from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths, making it a suitable material for a variety of applications, including bulletproof windows, missile domes, and specialty infrared domes. It’s used in the defence industry to make transparent armour, but can also be found in aerospace, energy and mining industries.
How is it made?
It begins as a pile of powdered aluminum oxynitride, which is then molded and baked in extremely hot temperatures. When it cools, the molecules in the material form a cubic spinel crystal structure.
This crystalline structure provides aluminum oxynitride with the strength to be used in military applications as well as other transparent armor applications. It’s incredibly hard and withstands impact as well as scratching.
Unlike other ceramics, this material doesn’t expand or contract as it heats up or cools down, which makes it easier to braze or solder. And since it won’t corrode from molten metal, it can be used near lithium batteries and other chlorides without damaging the material.
Its thermal stability and electrical insulating properties make it ideal for a wide range of electronic components, and it’s also known for its ability to draw heat away from hot spots and block current. It’s easy to machine and can be combined with other ceramics, such as boron nitride, for better machining performance.