I'm saving up for an Iridium ring. I've wanted to own Ir since I was a kid.
That's a $2000 investment, though, so you'd have to really like this guy to drop that kind of money.
Perhaps you can get him a ring made of an alloy related to his research? Or his PHD thesis?
second the epoxy suggestion. Just be sure to clean the surfaces you're potting well to improve adhesion or else you'll get leaks over time. also be aware of the amount of shrinkage you'll encounter when the epoxy cures.
the only other options that I can really see are some kind of through-pass...
Can you describe the fracture surface? Did it look shiny? Did it look dull? Did it sparkle in the light? Was there any necking whatsoever?
Do you have a lab with an SEM? If you can determine that the fracture was intergranular, then that would support Sb segregation to grain boundaries.
I'd avoid the aluminum. At the very least, you'd have to babysit it--coatings, cathodic protection, inspections, etc.
Just buy HDPE. You can fabricate an Al shell for it
I work for a connector company, so I won't make any specific recommendations.
There's so many connector combinations that all the big providers can supply. Metal or plastic housing; different types of conductors; plated terminals or unplated.
I find it strange that the connectors have to be...
Maybe 2099 or 2199? Those are fairly new alloys from Alcoa.
Sorry--my memory didn't seem to serve me well. These alloys are tougher than 7075, not stronger (at least according to a quick search).
That might be pertinent to your design goals, but I don't think there's enough information here to...
I'd be curious as to how the quality of the polish influences the quality of the results from the automated system. My human eyes can distinguish between polishing artefacts and stringers pretty well, but I don't know how well software might handle that. Additionally, you might also consider the...
Have you considered ultrasonic joining? You'd have to buy equipment for this, but it can form very reliable joints between dissimilar metals for electrical applications. It avoids many of the problems of oxide displacement because mechanical wipe during the ultrasonic vibration displaces surface...