Nano-3D printed material as light as styrofoam, 5× stronger than titanium
image of the full nanolattice geometry (left), and an 18.75-million cell nanolattice floating on a soap bubble (right)
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering have created nano-architected materials stronger than any solid material, but lighter than a feather.
In a new paper published in Advanced Materials, a team describes how they made dream nanomaterials with properties that offer a typically conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight, and customizability. The approach could be applied to a wide range of applications - automotive, architecture, aerospace, and much more.
Manufacturing technology like this will revolutionize the world - imagine being able to print out the strongest, lightest gear someone might need, on a moment's notice, to tackle any task [your character] might face. All they'd need is a 3D nano-printer (in this case, a two-photon polymerization type) in their workshop and the right printing materials (in this case, a form of carbon).
Nano-architected materials are made of tiny building blocks or repeating units measuring a few hundred nanometers in size - a human hair is more than 100× thicker than the lattice structures pictured above. These building blocks (in this case made of carbon) are arranged in complex 3D structures called nanolattices.
This is also the technology we've needed in order to begin building space elevators to get past expensive, dangerous rocket tech.
