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Synthetic sapphire – single-crystal aluminum oxide (sapphire – Al 2 O 3) is a transparent ceramic. Transparent ceramics have recently acquired a high degree of interest and notoriety. Basic applications include lasers and cutting tools, transparent armor windows, night vision devices (NVD), and nose cones for heat seeking missiles.
It is primarily used to produce the ruby, sapphire and padparadscha varieties of corundum, as well as the diamond simulants rutile, strontium titanate and spinel. The principle of the process involves melting a finely powdered substance using an oxyhydrogen flame, and crystallising the melted droplets into a boule.
Polyhedral representation of spinel MgAl 2 O 4. Spinel (/ s p ɪ ˈ n ɛ l, ˈ s p ɪ n əl / [7]) is the magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula MgAl 2 O 4 in the cubic crystal system. Its name comes from the Latin word spinella, a diminutive form of spine, in reference to its pointed crystals. [5]
Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3) typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium, and chromium. [3] [4] It is a rock-forming mineral.It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the presence of transition metal impurities in its crystalline structure. [7]
Inverse spinel structures have a different cation distribution in that all of the A cations and half of the B cations occupy octahedral sites, while the other half of the B cations occupy tetrahedral sites. An example of an inverse spinel is Fe 3 O 4, if the Fe 2+ (A 2+) ions are d 6 high-spin and the Fe 3+ (B 3+) ions are d 5 high-spin.
Synthetic sapphire and spinel are durable materials (hardness 9 and 8) that take a good polish; however, due to their much lower RI when compared to diamond (1.762–1.770 for sapphire, 1.727 for spinel), they are "lifeless" when cut. (Synthetic sapphire is also anisotropic, making it even easier to spot.)