Light as foam yet strong as steel: a new material has been developed for the aerospace industry.

Researchers have employed artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a previously unknown nanomaterial that possesses the strength of high-carbon steel while being as lightweight as polystyrene. This new 3D-printed material outperforms existing constructions in strength by more than double. Scientists believe that this innovative material could be utilized to create stronger yet lighter components for aircraft and spacecraft. The study is published in the journal Advanced Materials, as reported by Live Science.

In many materials, strength and impact toughness often conflict with one another. For instance, conventional ceramic plates, while durable and capable of bearing significant loads, achieve their strength at the expense of impact toughness, requiring little energy to shatter.

The same issue applies to nanomaterials, which are composed of numerous building blocks that are 1/100th the thickness of a human hair. This structure lends strength to these materials, yet they can fail unexpectedly. Consequently, their applications are limited.

To discover better ways to design nanomaterials, researchers utilized AI to propose optimal options for materials that are both lightweight and strong at the same time. This means these materials can withstand substantial loads without breaking down.

Using the insights gained so far, scientists have created new nanomaterials through 3D printing that can endure up to 2.03 megapascals per cubic meter per kilogram. This strength is five times greater than that of titanium.

According to the researchers, they now aim to take all necessary steps to ensure that these new materials can be used to produce lighter and stronger components for aircraft and spacecraft.

The study authors suggest that these new material designs will ultimately lead to the creation of ultra-light components for vehicles, helping to reduce fuel consumption during flight without compromising performance.