Researchers from Australia have used lasers and metal powder to create a new super material, a “metamaterial” that is stronger than anything you can find in nature.
Ma Qian, a lead researcher on the project, conducted out of RMIT University, said “We designed a hollow tubular lattice structure that has a thin band running inside it. These two elements together show strength and lightness never before seen together in nature. By effectively merging two complementary lattice structures to evenly distribute stress, we avoid the weak points where stress normally concentrates.”
Excerpt from www.freethink.com
Using lasers and metal powder, Australian scientists have created a super strong, super lightweight new “metamaterial” — but they got the idea for this sci fi-sounding creation from plants.
… What they’ve been able to create so far using available manufacturing techniques have fallen short, though — an uneven distribution of load stress is a major reason these synthetic materials don’t turn out as strong as their natural counterparts.