DailyDirt: The Age Of Super Lightweight Stuff

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Wed, Feb 8th 2012 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Civilizations were previously categorized by the materials they used: copper, bronze, iron, steel, plastic, etc. The advancements in material science haven't quite had as much of an impact on society as they used to. Still, there are plenty of really cool materials now that didn't exist just a few decades ago. Here are just a few examples.

A metallic lattice is the current record-holder for being the lightest solid material -- beating out aerogels and low-density foams. This material is made up of hollow struts (up to 500-microns wide, made from a nickel-phosphorous alloy) that form a 3D lattice that looks like tiny scaffolding. [url]
Aerogels used to be the lowest-density solid material for many decades, and it has several practical applications. Aerogels generally have very low thermal conductivities, so they can be useful for anything from cryogenic insulation to insulating shoe insoles. [url]
Common metals, like steel, contain metal grains that can move along grain boundaries, but these boundaries can be made immobile by adding defects such as small particles. Nanometals are made with really small grain boundary defects -- which can create super strong materials that are also lightweight. Material scientists are constantly working on making metal alloys and composites to further understand how these nanostructures can be created. [url]
To discover more interesting science-related stuff, check out what's currently floating around the StumbleUpon universe. [url]

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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Filed Under: aerogels, alloys, composites, materials, nanometals

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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2012 @ 10:34pm

aerogels are pretty pricey!
thinkgeek sells this stuff for ~$40 for a little tiny piece... so on a weight basis, this stuff is insanely expensive.
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Michael Ho (profile), 8 Feb 2012 @ 10:47pm

Re: aerogels are pretty pricey!
uh. Thinkgeek probably isn't the best supplier for buying this stuff in bulk quantities. :P
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Feb 2012 @ 3:10am

"The advancements in material science haven't quite had as much of an impact on society as they used to" - oh sure and semiconductors weren't that much of an advancement right?
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Pixelation, 9 Feb 2012 @ 7:38am

I want to make a car out of this stuff. When someone gets me upset I'll pick up my car and threaten to throw it at them.
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Michael Ho (profile), 9 Feb 2012 @ 11:36am

Re:
Good point with semiconductors. Lasers, too... and maybe someday if we ever find room temperature superconductors, that'll be huge.
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