With the help of 3D-printer to create a material that is lighter than water and has the strength of steel Bashny.Net

In the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology created a new composite material whose density is less than the density of water, and the compressive strength reaches 274 MPa, which is comparable with magnesium and aluminum alloys and some types of steel. The strength of the new material strength than any artificial and natural materials, which are lighter than water.





The material has a honeycomb structure. His foundation is printed on a 3D-printer microscopic lattice. Printing is done on the micro scale technology two-photon lithography . Focusing a laser beam printer in the thickness of the polymer resin which solidifies instantly at the focal point. Resolution such mikroprinterov up to 100 nanometers. The printed polymeric grille itself is not very strong. The whole secret of the new material is that after printing grid coated with a thin layer of aluminum oxide (corundum) - one of the most durable materials, only slightly inferior to the diamond. Although the density of corundum four times higher than the density of water, it takes from 1% to 10% by volume of the resulting structure (depending on thickness).

Scientists have experimented with different types of polymer lattices and different thicknesses of aluminum oxide. The greatest strength of the structure shown in the form of a hexagonal honeycomb. When corundum coating thickness of 50 nanometers compressive strength was 273 MPa at a density of 6 863 mg / cm <sup>3 sup>. Visually compare the strength and density of new material in comparison with other possible in this diagram:



article describing technology and experimental data are freely available on the pnas.org.



Source: habrahabr.ru/post/211416/</sup>