Carbon pillars are stronger than diamond yet elastic

Abstract

Researchers have constructed microscopic carbon structures that boast the best combination of strength and elasticity of any material studied to date (Nat. Nanotechnol. 2019, DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0486-y). The tiny carbon pillars are stronger by weight than most existing materials and can bounce back after being pressed to half their size. The columns are also lightweight and heat resistant, making them ideal for use in aerospace components, engines, and nuclear reactor parts. Engineers could use these microscopic structures as building blocks for macroscopic materials, says Julia R. Greer, a materials scientist at the California Institute of Technology. With the pillars’ unique combination of properties, “you could build robust parts for any extreme thermal mechanical environment,” she says. The words strong and rubbery do not typically go together for materials. Strong materials are usually hard, while elastic materials that can recover their original shape after being deformed are pliable. Combining ...