Sapphire (Al₂O₃) is an incredibly hard crystal that has high mechanical strength, excellent thermal and chemical resistance and is also scratch resistant. It is not formed from molten glass like other optical materials.
Sapphire is grown and has a crystalline structure, therefore when cut in a ‘random’ orientation, it means the internal structure of the crystal planes can be in any direction.
For our catalog sapphire windows the finished product is not guaranteed to be oriented to any particular manner. Sapphire windows can be made thinner than alternative crystals thanks to its structural integrity and can operate up to 2030⁰C.