chief108
28th October 2010, 09:26
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Eat it, Man of Steel
Kevlar used to hold the record for the strongest organic substance out there, but this new transparent substance developed in Israel is the new strongest nanomaterial known to man.
Inspired by an unlikely source — the beta-amyloid proteins found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease — the new material could be applied to make steel tougher and may also lead to cheaper and lighter body armor. “In principle it may be possible,” to print body armor, said Ehud Gazit, a scientist at the Tel Aviv University and a co-author of a new article in the journal Angewandte Chemie international edition.
“But we are thinking of more straightforward uses: to improve the mechanical properties of composite structures, such as ceramics and bulletproof glass,” he added. The new material is similar, but not identical, to the brain plaque linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Dozens of amino acids form those beta-amlyoid proteins. The new synthetic proteins only have a fraction of those amino acids and are covered with an additional protective layer to create super-strong spheres. The spheres are microscopic, ranging in size from about 30 nanometers to two micrometers. The material itself is transparent and easy to manipulate and manufacture.
It is also incredibly tough. Only a diamond-tipped probe could penetrate the material — and to make a dent the probe needed to use twice the pressure of what it would take to make a mark in Kevlar.
Via
Eat it, Man of Steel
Kevlar used to hold the record for the strongest organic substance out there, but this new transparent substance developed in Israel is the new strongest nanomaterial known to man.
Inspired by an unlikely source — the beta-amyloid proteins found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease — the new material could be applied to make steel tougher and may also lead to cheaper and lighter body armor. “In principle it may be possible,” to print body armor, said Ehud Gazit, a scientist at the Tel Aviv University and a co-author of a new article in the journal Angewandte Chemie international edition.
“But we are thinking of more straightforward uses: to improve the mechanical properties of composite structures, such as ceramics and bulletproof glass,” he added. The new material is similar, but not identical, to the brain plaque linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Dozens of amino acids form those beta-amlyoid proteins. The new synthetic proteins only have a fraction of those amino acids and are covered with an additional protective layer to create super-strong spheres. The spheres are microscopic, ranging in size from about 30 nanometers to two micrometers. The material itself is transparent and easy to manipulate and manufacture.
It is also incredibly tough. Only a diamond-tipped probe could penetrate the material — and to make a dent the probe needed to use twice the pressure of what it would take to make a mark in Kevlar.
Via