Researchers have come up with a new material that is stiffer than diamond. Diamond was previously the stiffest material known. They mixed molten tin, heated to about 300ºC, with pieces of a ceramic material called barium titanium - often used as an insulator in electronic components. The particles were each about one-tenth of a millimetre in diameter and were dispersed evenly through the tin using an ultrasonic probe.
Once ingots of the new composite had cooled, rectangular or cylindrical samples 3 centimetres long and 2 millimetres across were tested for stiffness.
The tests were carried out at a variety of temperatures. Between 58ºC and 59ºC the samples became stiffer than diamond. Some were nearly 10 times as resistant to bending.
Link & Image: New Scientist
Tags: Diamond | Stiffness | Material
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