The lightest metal on earth has been developed and it has been dubbed microlattice. A hundred times lighter than styrofoam, microlattice may be able to sit on a dandelion without crushing its seeds, but don't be deceived by this feat. Microlattice might appear delicate, but it can bear a 50% compression stress load. Impressed yet?
Created by HRL Laboratories in collaboration with researchers at Caltech and UC Irvine, microlattice is purported for aerospace structural components. As light as a feather and strong as a spiderweb, microlattice achieves these wondrous qualities through a series of hollow tubes. According to Popular Science, "Researchers exposed a light sensitive liquid to UV light through a patterned mask, which created a three-dimensional photopolymer lattice. They then deposited a layer of nickel-phosphorous onto the polymer lattice, which was then etched." The result being microlattice.
Created by HRL Laboratories in collaboration with researchers at Caltech and UC Irvine, microlattice is purported for aerospace structural components. As light as a feather and strong as a spiderweb, microlattice achieves these wondrous qualities through a series of hollow tubes. According to Popular Science, "Researchers exposed a light sensitive liquid to UV light through a patterned mask, which created a three-dimensional photopolymer lattice. They then deposited a layer of nickel-phosphorous onto the polymer lattice, which was then etched." The result being microlattice.
