New material stronger than steel and light as plastic.

[Sam7sf]

MIT Engineers Create the “Impossible” – New Material That Is Stronger Than Steel and As Light as Plastic

The new substance is the result of a feat thought to be impossible: polymerizing a material in two dimensions. Using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel and as light as plastic, and can be easily manufactured in large quan

scitechdaily.com

 

[Grumps21]

I don’t know about this one. I see images of cracked dash boards in 20yo old cars today and plastic bits that turn to dust when scratched. Plastic is not for longevity, at least not as I know it. This new technology would be great I think in non-structural applications like windshields and glass applications, phone screens, auto body parts. But for bridges and such, I’d question that.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

The underside of my 2001 Silverado dash is crumbling.
Has been for a several years.

 

[Vaquero]

Landfill nightmare in 20 years.

 

[gll]

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ihsmarkit.com

 

[kbaxter60]

Maybe you fellers need to read the article again.

I am thinking: bulletproof car.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Maybe you fellers need to read the article again.

I am thinking: bulletproof car.

Or vests.....

 

[1911'S 4 Me]

Or Chevrolets...

 

[cbigclarke]

The underside of my 2001 Silverado dash is crumbling.
Has been for a several years.

That means it's time for a new one

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[ZX9RCAM]

That means it's time for a new one

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Hell no.
Only has ~140k miles, it's just broken in.

Howdy Clarke.

 

[BBL]

No matter how strong the polymers are out of factory, heat will degrade them fast. Stronger than steel is a good property but won't last, like in steel. So let's not start building bridges out of plastic just yet, please.

 

[gll]

No matter how strong the polymers are out of factory, heat will degrade them fast. Stronger than steel is a good property but won't last, like in steel. So let's not start building bridges out of plastic just yet, please.

It may well be too soon to build bridges out of it, but it's also too soon to know just what properties this new polymer might have. A 2d polymer is a breakthrough that could be a major breakthrough in materials science...

 

[Axxe55]

No matter how strong the polymers are out of factory, heat will degrade them fast. Stronger than steel is a good property but won't last, like in steel. So let's not start building bridges out of plastic just yet, please.

Not just heat, but extreme temperature cycles and UV rays will degrade most plastics. Extreme heat will make plastics more pliable, and extreme cold will make it more brittle. Factor in stress and movement and you have a recipe for failure.

 

[Grumps21]

It may well be too soon to build bridges out of it, but it's also too soon to know just what properties this new polymer might have. A 2d polymer is a breakthrough that could be a major breakthrough in materials science...

I see your point, but let’s hope that it doesn’t have the same flammable properties as plastics of today. Could you imagine what it would have looked like in 1993 when the car bomb went off in the WTC parking garage? Steel and concrete don’t burn, but what about if structurally it were this new type of plastic they just discovered. I’m thinking it would flame up like a mountain of old tires. I guess I’m just one of those Negative Nellies when it comes to new technologies

 

[oldag]

Lots of new world changing discoveries like this come out regularly. Seldom do they make it to commercial use. But every now and then, one does.

 

[BBL]

Not just heat, but extreme temperature cycles and UV rays will degrade most plastics. Extreme heat will make plastics more pliable, and extreme cold will make it more brittle. Factor in stress and movement and you have a recipe for failure.

Right, I was just simplifying. UV, especially in Texas, is pretty bad for plastics.
It would be great if this new technology lowered the cost of manufacturing merchandise for consumers. I just gotta wonder about the "stronger than steel" claim long-term. Time will tell.

 

[pronstar]

The stuff they can engineer at a molecular level is pretty incredible.

Nothing really surprises me…more like it amazes me.

There are already composites that are stronger than steel in some regards.

Take carbon fiber and the various composites based on it…there are vehicles with entire monocoques made from it.
But you don’t see it inside an engine.

Like anything, there’s a compromise that’s dictated by the intended use.
There is no super material that checks all the boxes.


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[Axxe55]

The stuff they can engineer at a molecular level is pretty incredible.

Nothing really surprises me…more like it amazes me.

There are already composites that are stronger than steel in some regards.

Take carbon fiber and the various composites based on it…there are vehicles with entire monocoques made from it.
But you don’t see it inside an engine.

Like anything, there’s a compromise that’s dictated by the intended use.
There is no super material that checks all the boxes.


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And factor in manufacturing costs of some of these super polymers, or the raw material costs.

 

[easy rider]

Isn't polymers using plastic and resins making it essentially a strong plastic?

 

[Axxe55]

Isn't polymers using plastic and resins making it essentially a strong plastic?

What we know about polymers is probably pretty limited to some degree. Actually pretty complicated stuff going on with polymers. Much more than I knew about.

Polymer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Polymer science - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org