Nano-3D printed material as light as styrofoam, 5× stronger than titanium
image of the full nanolattice geometry (left), and an 18.75-million cell nanolattice floating on a soap bubble (right)
Researchers at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering have created nano-architected materials stronger than any solid material, but lighter than a feather.
In a new paper published in Advanced Materials, a team describes how they made dream nanomaterials with properties that offer a typically conflicting combination of exceptional strength, light weight, and customizability. The approach could be applied to a wide range of applications - automotive, architecture, aerospace, and much more.
Manufacturing technology like this will revolutionize the world - imagine being able to print out the strongest, lightest gear someone might need, on a moment's notice, to tackle any task [your character] might face. All they'd need is a 3D nano-printer (in this case, a two-photon polymerization type) in their workshop and the right printing materials (in this case, a form of carbon).
Nano-architected materials are made of tiny building blocks or repeating units measuring a few hundred nanometers in size - a human hair is more than 100× thicker than the lattice structures pictured above. These building blocks (in this case made of carbon) are arranged in complex 3D structures called nanolattices.  Â
This is also the technology we've needed in order to begin building space elevators to get past expensive, dangerous rocket tech.
