A team of researchers from theUniversity of Toronto has developed a new material that could transform sectors such as aerospace and automotive. Thanks to the union between Machine Learning And engineering on a nanometric scalehave created a carbon structure that combines extreme resistance and lightnessovercoming the performance of traditional materials.
For years, engineers have tried to develop materials that unite lightness and resistance To improve efficiency in various sectors, in particular the aerospace one, where even a few less grams can translate into fuel savings and optimized performance.
Materials like aluminum and titanium For a long time they represented the most advanced solution, but present limitations. Even carbon fiber, despite being a revolutionary alternative, is not without defects. To overcome these obstacles, the Canadian research team has explored an innovative approach: i Nano Materials Archived.
These structures, designed at a nanometric level, draw inspiration from natural elements such as Bones, shells and hivesoptimizing the distribution of the load to reduce weak points. However, the design of these geometries is extremely complex, since an incorrect stress distribution can compromise the resistance of the material.
To face this challenge, the researchers used a Advanced Machine Learning model known as Bayesian optimizationcapable of identifying the most efficient geometric configuration between millions of possible combinations.
Artificial intelligence and nanotechnology for ultra-performing materials
Thanks to artificial intelligence, the team generated thousands of potential design, testing them with Analysis to the finished elementsa computational technique that simulates the behavior of materials under stress. The algorithm then perfected the structures, optimizing Resistance and rigidity without increasing the weight.
Second Peter Serlesfirst author of the study published on Advanced Materialsthe dwarf materials designed are exploited by the principle of “The smaller it is, the stronger it becomes”creating structures with one of the best resistance/weight relationships ever obtained. However, traditional lattice geometries present corners and intersections that concentrate stress, causing early fractures.
Machine learning has made it possible to overcome this problem, identifying new geometries that better distribute the stresses. Once the most promising designs have been selected, the researchers printed them in 3D with two photons polymerizationa technology capable of creating structures with nanometric precision.
The microstructures obtained, composed of very thin carbon wires (300-600 nanometers in diameter)were then subjected to pyrolysisa thermal process a 900 ° C in nitrogen atmospherewhich transformed the polymer into ultra-resistant glass carbon.
A more resistant material than the titanium and ten times stronger than aluminum
The tests showed that these optimized nanoreticols offer more than that double compared to previous design, reaching a breakdown of 2.03 Megapascal per cubic meter per kilogram of density.
To contextualize these data:
- I am 10 times more resistant of many light aluminum alloys.
- They exceed about 5 times the resistance of the titanium.
The secret of their extraordinary resistance lies in the behavior of carbon on nanometric scale. When the dimensions of the filaments are reduced to 300 nanometers, carbon atoms organize themselves in one high purity structurewith the 94% of SP² bondssimilar to those of graphite, who confer Exceptional rigidity and resistance.
Future applications: from aerospace to sustainable transport
The implications of this discovery are enormous. Ultra-light and super-resistant components could revolutionize the production of planes, helicopters and space vehiclessignificantly reducing the fuel consumption and emissions.
According to Serles, replacing the titanium parts of an airplane with this material could save money 80 liters of fuel per year for each kilogram of replaced material.
The next step for the researchers will be climb production To create macroscopic components at sustainable costs, while exploring new geometries to obtain Even lighter and performing materials.
This innovation, published on Advanced Materialsmarks a turning point in the science of materials, with potential applications in sectors ranging fromaeronautics at the roboticsup to the medicine.
