Stable materials with low weight can significantly reduce fuel consumption in aerospace. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to develop materials with particularly useful, efficient properties. Human research without the support of machine learning would often take decades for these discoveries.
Scientists at the University of Toronto have now developed a material using AI that has highly sought-after properties for many industries. It is as light as styrofoam yet as stable as the hardest known metals. Their results have been published in the journal Advanced Materials.
The material is a carbon nanolattice that can withstand a maximum stress of 2.03 megapascals per cubic meter per kilogram. This value is five times higher than that of titanium. In terms of compressive strength, the material has the same hardness as steel. However, it has a density of less than 215 kilograms per cubic meter, making it as light as styrofoam, which typically ranges between 125 and 215 kilograms per cubic meter.
Nanostructures are considered a great hope in materials research because they are usually very light yet hard. According to the research report, they tend to not withstand stress well, leading to breakage points at the edges despite their hardness. Scientists have found a solution to this problem with the help of an algorithm from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
This material is likely to be primarily in demand in aircraft construction, aerospace, and the automotive industry, where materials need to withstand extreme forces. At the same time, lightness is desired to reduce the energy required for movement. Materials of this kind could therefore significantly reduce the fuel consumption of various means of transportation and ultimately help to minimize CO2 emissions.
The discovery of new materials with the help of artificial intelligence could become more frequent in the future. Recently, Microsoft introduced MatterGen, a generative AI designed to develop materials based on text prompts. While human researchers often have to experiment and calculate for years to discover materials with the desired properties, AI can quickly simulate thousands of molecular arrangements until a stable configuration is found that meets the specified requirements.
The discoverers of the super-light and strong nanolattice are now working on making the material cost-effective and producible in large quantities. At the same time, they continue to research alternative materials with the help of AI.
