Voltaglass
Properties
Material Characteristics
Smoky, translucent metal with a glassy sheen streaked with bright white opaque injections and has a magical conductivity rating of 9 out of 10. Once melted, Voltaglass naturally forms into sheets with little-to-no flaws.
Geology & Geography
Voltaglass originates from the Tarkhan Fault, a lightning-blasted plateau in the deserts of southern Zeeben, where frequent electrical storms fuse silica and trace metals into translucent conductive outcrops. Extraction is perilous, as the storms that create it are constant and unpredictable.
History & Usage
Discovery
Voltaglass' history traces back to the year 921 when researchers observed lightning strike a vitrified crater repeatedly. During a brief break in the storm several sheets were extracted from the crater and studied extensively for their electrical properties. Despite lightning strikes occurring all across the confederacy, Voltaglass only occurs in a single location. The reason for this is still unknown despite eons of study.
Everyday use
Voltaglass is frequently used in lightning capacitors, coils and most touchscreens, tubes, batteries and both virtual and augmented reality devices.
Industrial Use
Voltaglass is commonly used in tru-vision windows, many Warforged optical devices, sensors and fiber optics and has recently been expanded to replace many viewing windows of executive suites.
Refinement
Voltaglass' low melting point makes it ideal for smelting in alchemical crucibles at low heat. Due to the material's unusual property of forming into easily-workable sheets, modern refining processed include annealing in a static field to enhance electronic receptivness.
Reusability & Recycling
Scrap and broken Voltaglass can be easily re-melted into silicate beads that still store a minor charge. Re-melting is only successful once however and the material is susceptible to devitrification rendering the product inert and commercially useless.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Due to increasing frequency and intensity of storms on the Tarkhan Fault, Voltaglass' price and availability is extremely volatile and is often ordered by manufacturers years in advance. Modern harvesting techniques provide ample yields, however the plateau continues to diminish in volume making this staple material finite.
Type
Ore
Value
35 gold per gram
Rarity
Rare
Color
semi-translucent and glassy, often with streaks of white
Melting / Freezing Point
1800° T
Density
410 lb/ft³