一種還在實(shí)驗(yàn)室里的、無(wú)比堅(jiān)硬的物質(zhì)

Scientists have found a new way to structure carbon at the nanoscale, making a material that's superior to diamond on the strength-to-density ratio.

科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了一種新的方法構(gòu)造納米級(jí)碳，做出了一種在強(qiáng)度密度比上優(yōu)于鉆石的物質(zhì)。

While the tiny carbon lattice has been fabricated and tested in the lab, it's a very long way off practical use. But this new approach could help us build stronger and lighter materials in the future - which is something that's of great interest to industries such as aerospace and aviation.

雖然做出了這種微碳晶格，在實(shí)驗(yàn)室中進(jìn)行了測(cè)試，但還不能用于實(shí)際應(yīng)用。但這種新的方法能幫我們?cè)谖磥?lái)構(gòu)造出更堅(jiān)固更輕的物質(zhì)，航空航天等行業(yè)對(duì)此會(huì)非常感興趣。

 

 

What we're talking about here is something known as a nanolattices - porous structures like the one in the image above that's made up of three-dimensional carbon struts and braces. Due to their unique structure, they're incredibly strong and lightweight.

我們討論的是納米晶格，這種多孔結(jié)構(gòu)如上圖所示，是由三維碳素支柱和支撐構(gòu)成的。由于其結(jié)構(gòu)獨(dú)特，所以異常堅(jiān)固輕便。

Usually these nanolattices are based around a cylindrical framework (they're called beam-nanolattices). But the team has now created plate-nanolattices, structures based around tiny plates.

通常這種納米晶格是以圓柱形框架為基礎(chǔ)的(我們稱之為束納米晶格)。但這個(gè)團(tuán)隊(duì)現(xiàn)在創(chuàng)造出了平板納米晶格，是基于微型平板的結(jié)構(gòu)。

This subtle shift may not sound like much, but the researchers say it can make a big difference when it comes to strength.

這種微妙的變化可能聽起來(lái)沒什么，但研究人員說(shuō)這對(duì)強(qiáng)度有很大影響。

Based on early experiments and calculations, the plate approach promises a 639 percent increase in strength and a 522 percent increase in rigidity over the beam nanolattice approach.

基于早期的實(shí)驗(yàn)和計(jì)算，這種平板結(jié)構(gòu)與束納米晶格相比，強(qiáng)度會(huì)提高639%，硬度會(huì)提高522%。

"Scientists have predicted that nanolattices arranged in a plate-based design would be incredibly strong," says materials scientist Cameron Crook, from the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

加利福尼亞大學(xué)爾灣分校材料科學(xué)家Cameron Crook說(shuō)：“科學(xué)家預(yù)測(cè)平板設(shè)計(jì)的納米晶格會(huì)異常堅(jiān)固。”

"But the difficulty in manufacturing structures this way meant that the theory was never proven, until we succeeded in doing it."

“但以這種方式制造結(jié)構(gòu)的困難程度說(shuō)明這一理論從未被證實(shí)過(guò)，我們得成功做出來(lái)才行。”