Transparent aluminium ceramics: fabrication techniques, setbacks and prospects

The quest to replace glass with transparent aluminium ceramics (AlON) in some applications such as automotive, aircraft, armour, electronics, mobile phone screens, etc., is long in coming. More than ever, the dire need for this replacement is calling for urgent attention in the research world. Some years ago, the possibility of fabricating transparent metals sounded more like a mirage, but as time went by, the mirage of yesterday became the reality of today. Cost of fabrication, ease of fabrication and the development of inherent properties during fabrications have limited research interest in transparent AlON ceramics development and their wide usage. Regardless of some of these challenges, the shift of research focuses on the cost-effective ways of fabricating this ceramic metal will definitely revolutionise the engineering world. In an attempt to awaken the research in this area, this review paper presents the fabrication techniques, challenges/setbacks and prospects associated with transparent AlON ceramics.