Researchers devise method for colorizing metals, alchemists swoon

Unfortunately, Dr. Chunlei Guo of the University of Rochester hasn't yet figured out how to turn scrap metals into gold, but he, along with Dr. Anatoliy Y. Vorobyev, has discovered how to colorize a variety of metals. By utilizing a "femtosecond laser processing technique," the duo has crafted a method for turning even aluminum into aluminum with an impeccable gold finish. Furthermore, they've also been successful in turning tungsten dark blue, leaving reason to believe that nearly any metal could be altered to appear as a different color. Ah, just imagine what these folks could do with your MacBook Pro.

[Via The New York Times, thanks Jonathan]

[Yasser @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:05AM]

Actually just imagine cars that don't need to be painted, environmental and cost benefits.

[euclid @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:06AM]

oh the possibilities ! :)

[torqueo @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:09AM]

Kinda neat, but.. *hugs my CFRP laptop*

[L.Rawlins @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:25AM]

I was under the impression that we could already print images, colours and typography directly onto metal anyway?

So changing the colour of the underlying metal itself is a bit redundant isn't it?

[broli @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:26AM]

For the people that think this would replace paint. Besides appereance paint also serves as a way to slow down corrosion, so it doesn't really matter much in this case unless we're talking about stainless steal.

[Dave Skaggs @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:47AM]

Stainless Steel does still rust, just takes longer, so I doubt this process even on SS will ever take the place of corrosion-reducing paint.

[Reader @ Feb 3rd 2008 4:35PM]

I was under the impression that aluminum didn't corrode really, just oxidized a harder coating. Always though it would be cool to have some anodized cars driving around.

[ED @ Feb 3rd 2008 5:22PM]

And besides, the stainless-steel construction makes the flux dispersal...
LOOK OUT!

[Twitchy @ Feb 3rd 2008 5:53PM]

I was just thinking that this could still be good for the environment, if large scale application isn't too expensive, as it could replace the paint used on cars, motorbikes etc. Instead the panels would be coloured, and then a clear-coat applied for protection against scratches and oxidation.

[hangfire @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:48AM]

this technique does away with the need for any type of "paint", it etches groves, directly onto the metal surface, at the same distance as the desired color's corresponding wavelength, so all that reflects from the surface is the chosen color, i think gold, aluminum and tungsten don't rust, and now u can color gold jewelry without adding anything to the surface.

[Phred @ Feb 3rd 2008 8:55AM]

Yasser: (can't reply)
About the environmental benefits, I have to wonder how much energy it would take to color a car body, lasers being notoriously inefficient.

Based on the information in the paper and some rough estimates, I came up with some very low numbers (like half a kWh per car body), but I could be very far off.

In any case, if you're looking for inexpensive, colored, corrosion-resistant metal, maybe anodized aluminum is a better choice. Light weight, too!

[Ghen @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:39AM]

replying is phun

[David Vogt @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:08AM]

What is an Apple reference doing in this post?

[RC @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:05AM]

It's engadget.

[pundit @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:17AM]

The Apple reference is there 'cause the MBP is a well-known aluminum laptop. They're saying you could colour it. That's my guess anyway.

[Tomheivers @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:24AM]

Sure, anodized aluminum looks to be a substitute on cars but aluminum isn't as stiff as cold-rolled steel :/

You'd get more dents ...

[mattclarkie @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:28AM]

This can't completely replace paint for things like a car, where the metals used are corrodable, but as most cars are plastic bar the doors and boot/bonnet it wont make much difference. I was washing my car the other day and couldn't believe every panel but the doors were plastic.

For certain things like laptops, portable electronics this would be a good way to combat scratches removing the colour, but would remove a layer of protection against scratches to begin with, as the paint often has a latex that makes it more resiliant to such scratches.

[drstrangegun @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:37AM]

I can't tell you about other industries, but once this comes commerically available the custom firearms industry will go *nuts*. Imagine bluing a pistol without the carbona method (furnace, bone meal, etc.) or vats of hot boiling potassium nitrate...

Ok, so nobody else cares but me, but I'm just letting the word out :)

[Jay @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:53AM]

Assuming they'll be able to produce any color, metal photographs would come in handy for the government as identification cards. It seems like this proprietary method would be very hard to duplicate. Especially considering it's etched via laser which can get much finer detail than a traditional printing process.

[Jeff Haynes @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:55AM]

Brings a whole new meaning to "light blue"

[R @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:59AM]

The Apple reference is an easy way for them to get hits by people who have trouble controlling their odd venom against Apple. It's bait. Engadget loves to start flame wars because it fills the coffers.

[purezerg @ Feb 3rd 2008 10:12AM]

given a choice, I had rather my laptop be made with magnesium alloy which is stronger than aluminium. oh wait. mine IS already magnesium alloy.

[mattclarkie @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:03AM]

Mine is also Mg-Al, and cost half as much as a MacBook. It also served me well as I dropped it from a table whilst it was turned on and it still works fine.

[Jesse S @ Feb 3rd 2008 12:08PM]

Who makes it?

[momotarosan @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:12AM]

hmmm...a Delorean in another color without painting.
or how about using the laser to make it invisible when it flies.

[temp @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:47AM]

Can they make transparent aluminum?

[Garst @ Feb 3rd 2008 12:59PM]

I know that one! To turn scrap metal into gold, you take your rusted out vehicle to Fort Knox, Kentucky, turn at 1599 Gold Vault Rd, then floor it!

[Hernan J. Colon @ Feb 3rd 2008 2:21PM]

"Unfortunately, Dr. Chunlei Guo of the University of Rochester hasn't yet figured out how to turn scrap metals into gold."

Did someone ask him? Because I believe he would answer the exact process needed to do that. It's not impossible.


http://chemistry.about.com/cs/generalchemistry/a/aa050601a.htm

Google it!

[Reader @ Feb 3rd 2008 5:40PM]

What's your point? It's called nuclear chemistry...

[Speddy @ Feb 3rd 2008 4:02PM]

We could have Red DeLoreans??

[Eric Leung @ Feb 5th 2008 10:57PM]

O_o couldnt we always have had a red delorean? just.. paint it? not that i would if i had one

[Hernan J. Colon @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:30PM]

My point? That anyone that takes a chemistry course in their lives should know that you can turn other elements into gold because it can be done. So, there's no need to start the news with:

"Unfortunately, Dr. Chunlei Guo of the University of Rochester hasn't yet figured out how to turn scrap metals into gold."

[Sakura3210 @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:38PM]

I can see your point for cars or whatever, things people keep for a long time. But for consumer electronics, which get replaced every few years (computer lifespans are generally, what, 5 years or so?) before they even get a chance to rust, this would be a viable alternative to paint.

[Sakura3210 @ Feb 3rd 2008 6:39PM]

Reply button isn't working for me. That was a reply for broli.

[steve @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:08PM]

If it was a MBP it would not have dropped on the ground. Their design is so good they don't fall off tables. ;-) Magnetic cables etc...

[Cal @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:53PM]

Pure magnesium would be more fun...

Magnesium + Exploding Battery = Fun

[Cal @ Feb 3rd 2008 7:57PM]

Yay for broken reply... Meant for purezerg

[mike @ Feb 3rd 2008 10:12PM]

Rochester NY FTW!!!!

[Mike Massey @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:04PM]

While it has long been possible to convert one element to another via high energy physics, the cost of converting something like lead to gold is somewhere on the order of 1,000,000 times the cost (in energy) of the final product.

if one were to undertake this process, they would probably strive for other elements... like platinum... the most expensive metal. or, californium-252, the most expensive element (billions per ounce)

[blisteringriffs @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:50PM]

Really? Anyone who's ever taken a chemistry course should know that?

I took 2 levels of chemistry in high school and we never talked about nuclear chemistry.

Methinks you're a blowhard moron. There there, jackass.

[bob @ Feb 3rd 2008 11:52PM]

Probably a Thinkpad. Dropping your Thinkpad is no biggie, happens ofen enough to me that I keep a "days without accident" meter.

[uberfu @ Feb 7th 2008 11:13AM]

All Black Aluminum MBP or MBA would look pretty good_

Brushed Metal Black Mac Pro :-)

[Salil @ Jun 12th 2008 12:10PM]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I guess anything "colored" by the femtosecond laser etching will need to be done in an inert environment, and it will need to be immediately coated with a clear, tough corrosion resistant coat to prevent rapid oxidation the moment this metal surface is exposed to air (because of immense surface area resulting from the nanoetching). Then again, the periodicity of the etch pattern will need to correspond to the wavelength of the colors we are interested in, in the coating medium. I guess stainless steel will be the best metal to color this way because of the immediate formation of a clear protective coating of Cr2O3 (thats what makes it "stainless").
But then again, I fail to see how this process can be cheaply upscaled to replace painting in any way. You need to scan the surface with a laser of tiny cross section area to get a nice periodic etched pattern. I don't see this coming out in the market anytime soon - except perhaps for some specialized application ... my two cents.