Media Platforms Design TeamTougher than some forms of steel and lighter than water, a new material exceeds the strength-to-weight ratio of many other construction materials. Researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany used an advanced Nanoscribe 3D printer to construct tiny aluminum oxide–coated polymer structures, each 40 microns tall, or about the diameter of a human hair. When compressed, they can withstand up to 40,611 psi of pressure, compared with stainless steel’s 30,458 psi. The material derives its Superman-like quality from its architecture: a honeycomb lattice inspired by the porous cellular structures that make wood and bone strong despite their light weight. If the researchers can find a way to scale up the production process, the microengineered material could prove useful in airplanes, spacecraft, and any other application where strength is important but weight is costly.Media Platforms Design TeamAluminum Oxide Cubes STRENGTH: HIGH (40,611 psi)DENSITY: LOW (50.6 lb/ft3)STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO: 803Media Platforms Design TeamTitanium AlloySTRENGTH: HIGH (140,687 psi)DENSITY: HIGH (277 lb/ft3)STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO: 509Media Platforms Design TeamStainless SteelSTRENGTH: HIGH (30,458 psi)DENSITY: HIGH (499 lb/ft3)STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO: 61Media Platforms Design TeamConcreteSTRENGTH: HIGH (3000 psi)DENSITY: HIGH (150 lb/ft3)STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO: 20Media Platforms Design TeamStyrofoamSTRENGTH: LOW (22 psi)DENSITY: LOW (1.25 lb/ft3)STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO: 17
