Posted on 12/24/2015 6:59:53 AM PST by BenLurkin
The new metal is composed of magnesium infused with a dense and even dispersal of ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles. It could be used to make lighter airplanes, spacecraft, and cars, helping to improve fuel efficiency, as well as in mobile electronics and biomedical devices.
To create the super-strong but lightweight metal, the team found a new way to disperse and stabilize nanoparticles in molten metals. They also developed a scalable manufacturing method that could pave the way for more high-performance lightweight metals. The research was published today in Nature.
...
Structural metals are load-bearing metals; they are used in buildings and vehicles. Magnesium, at just two-thirds the density of aluminum, is the lightest structural metal. Silicon carbide is an ultra-hard ceramic commonly used in industrial cutting blades. The researchers' technique of infusing a large number of silicon carbide particles smaller than 100 nanometers into magnesium added significant strength, stiffness, plasticity and durability under high temperatures.
The researchers' new silicon carbide-infused magnesium demonstrated record levels of specific strength—how much weight a material can withstand before breaking-and specific modulus-the material's stiffness-to-weight ratio. It also showed superior stability at high temperatures.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
So much for "lightweight".
How about an electric arc in an inert gas blanket?
Well, if you lattice the neutron matter into honeycombs, it should decrease the weight from 7645 tons per cubic millimeter, to 949 tons per cubic millimeter.
No worries. Directive 10-289 will soon put a stop to this foolishness.
Metallic hydrogen is the bomb.
I hope this new metal is recyclable.The material sounds like it should be great to build Aircraft with.But I wouldn’t want the stuff piling up contaminating the environment.
My guess is that with carbide in the matrix it would be hell on machine tools, so all one could do is to cast it. How the finishing operations might be done economically is yet to be shown.
Melting it for casting is usually done with a sulfur cap. Management of the gas displacement in casting is a big deal. Brittle. I agree with you that it would be hell on machine tools. Possibly crumbly in a cut, needing fluids to carry away the dust. Non-toxic though. So, pluses and minuses like everything else.
We are getting there:
S.H.I.E.L.D is behind these discoveries.
http://cdn.hitfix.com/photos/4333869/Thor_makes_special_SHIELD_appearance_featured_photo_gallery.jpg
Bet it would make a great racing wheel!
I recently changed out the steering wheel on my pickup truck and was surprised to find they are a magnesium casting with overmolded foam.
Been a machinist for goin' on 30 yrs, I've never seen a cutting tool made of silicon carbide. Silicon carbide is used as an abrasive, generally for grinding tungsten carbide, which is used for cutters.
Interesting!
Yes they did. They were returning a Blue wale to Earth to reseed our depleted oceans. The crew had landed in Golden Gate Park and the shore party had left a Klingon battle cruiser parked there with the cloaking device left fully engaged. As they left Scotty made a comment to remember where they had parked. (Best line in the whole episode!)
(Second best had Commander Scot talking to a mouse attached to a contemporary Desk top computer. When shown the actual way to enter commands, his comment was 'How Quaint')
Regards,
GtG
Interesting. I’ll bet the scrappers know about that!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
