New Materials There is a silent war going on. It is a war to get ahead in material discovery and implementation. There have been some incredible discoveries made in the last 25 years or so. The discoveries range from self-healing cement to exotic metals. This is a very important area which we usually don’t hear much about. These materials and metals have many different uses. We know there have been quite a lot of improvements made in defense projects, aerospace and in general construction, just to name a few areas. Let’s look at one of the most common materials for instance, cement. The Romans managed to create the strongest cement in history and we only recently figured out how they did it. A new type of cement is being experimented with which is able to seal cracks on its own. This can make structures a lot safer for a longer period of time. As a bonus scientists have devised a test which proves cement absorbs carbon dioxide. The area of new metals is always an exciting one because of their many uses. One which has been invented is perfect for implants. It is a 3D printed metal which is helpful in killing bacteria. For example, when it was tested it killed 87% of the bacterial which cause staph infections. Staph infections are a big problem in hospitals. Over the years another method has been invented to kill bacteria. It is a light bulb which is turned on in a hospital room after everyone is removed and the rays from the bulb sterilize the room. The bulb works on ultraviolet light and not only kills bacteria but also viruses. One of the lightest materials ever was invented a decades ago and named aerogel. The liquid in aerogel is replaced with gas making it extremely light and resistant to normal fires. It is said even though it is so light, it is a great insulator. The process for creating it is being modified so it can be made by a 3D printer. One of the uses aerogel has been used for is insulating between panes of window glass. Aerogel can support about 2,000 times its weight. Graphene is truly a miracle material. It can be made into sheets only one atom thick. It is said to be at the time, the strongest material ever measured. It puts the strength of a diamond to shame. So, what is graphene made of? It is pure carbon. There are a lot of uses for graphene such as solar cells, computer chips and storage devices to name a few. It may take some time before some of these things can be figured out and done so economically. One of the most ancient materials used by humans is wood, and yet new uses are being found for it. Scientists in Sweden have figured out how to get cellulose nanofibers from wood which are extremely strong. The material is stronger than spider silk by about 8 times and yet is biodegradable. One of the uses for it is as a plastic replacement. Since it is very light, it would be ideal if the cost is right. It would also solve the problem we are having with plastic contamination. A new material called Reddmatter has been discovered. It is said to be a superconducting material which is the holy grail of electronics. I say this because it is said to be able to superconduct at room temperature, which is something scientists have been looking for, for decades. The material has no resistance. If this material is truly what it is said to be, it will change our current technology. Not only does it work at low temperatures, it also works at low pressures. Another new material which is also only one atom thick is Borophene. It comes from boron and is said to be twice as strong as graphene, which is quite a feat. It can be used to increase the power of batteries. One of its uses could be to make flexible electronics. Wearing our electronics seems to be the way technology will advance. I have even heard some scientists say the electronics can not only be built into our clothing, but it will be able to eventually be washed without harm. I believe this will make our electronics even cheaper. One of the problems brought about by the computer age is our storage of data has a limited lifespan. Much of our storage materials such as computer memory have a lifespan of only 10 to 20 years. It is said the average lifespan for Hard Drives is only 4 to 7 years, Solid state devices 5 to 10 years, and flash drives about 10 years. While this might be good enough for those of us who only use our computers for typing notes or exploring the internet, it is not good enough for scientists. They are working on a way to use glass storage. Microsoft is working on a four step process. It allows writing and reading only. Once written the data cannot be changed. They project the lifespan of the data could be about 10,000 years. The company is still perfecting it and thinks it will have to go through three or four more stages to become practical. A new breakthrough has been made in body armor. The fiber has gotten tougher which in turn will allow the armor to be reduced in weight without any loss in protection. DuPont has also announced new body armor which is said to contour to the curves of the body, covering areas not previously covered. MIT thinks it has made a breakthrough in body armor which could lead to paper thin bullet-proof armor. If this is perfected it would mean a lot to our soldiers who are wearing heavy plate armor. I think many of us have noticed the advancements being made in 3D printed metals. Whoever would have thought we could print metal? I know I never did. 3D printing of metal is being used in many different places. Elon Musk admitted he is using it for part of the construction of his rockets as is other companies in that field. It has allowed them to turn hundreds of parts at a time into one bigger part, making assembly of rockets a lot quicker. As new materials are invented, it is going to change our lives and how we do things. I saw a blurb once on how some scientist was trying to allow us to feel a hologram if we touched it. I know this sounds strange, but remember, you never know what is coming down the road.
|
