Researchers create exceptionally strong and lightweight new metal

Magnesium infused with dense silicon carbide nanoparticles could be used for airplanes, cars, mobile electronics and more. Matthew Chin - At left, a deformed sample of pure metal; at right, the strong new metal made of magnesium with silicon carbide nanoparticles. Each central micropillar is about 4 micrometers across. A team led by researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has created a super-strong yet light structural metal with extremely high specific strength and modulus, or stiffness-to-weight ratio. 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.