Scientists Have Changed The Color of Gold

post from Ubergizmo on 24 October 2012 04:15:17 PM. © Ubergizmo

The pattern embossed on the gold’s surface

Anodizing’s in the tech news world today because Apple (and other gadget makers) are realizing it’s a great way to make portable devices more durable and more attractive. However, the anodizing process involves coating metal with a thin layer of colored aluminum oxide: basically, it’s not changing the actual color of the metal. Researchers from the university of Southhampton in the UK announced today that they actually changed the color of gold by scuffing up its surface. It’s much more precise than that, but it does use a pattern of tiny indentations or embossments alters the way the metal absorbs and reflects light, which makes it look like different colors. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Gold-producing bacteria used by researchers, Minecraft goes gold at last,