US scientists create world's lightest material polystyrene

     Recently, the University of California, Irvine Hughes Research Laboratory (HRL) and the California Institute of Technology Co., Ltd. jointly developed the world's lightest material density of only 0.9 mg / cc, compared with polystyrene foam plastic lighter 100 times. Related papers published in the journal "Science" of November 18.

    Lightweight (less than 10 milligrams per cubic centimeter) in noise insulation, battery electrodes, catalyst supports, porous acoustic research material, vibration buffering, etc. have great energy applications. The new material has a unique " micro-lattice" porous structure, even in the nanometer, micrometer and millimeter scale levels, which are also constituted about 99.99% air and 0.01% solids, it set new boundaries for the lightest material.

    The project principal investigator, University of California, Irvine mechanical and aerospace engineer Lorenzo Ward Witt said: "When the material is small in size to the nanometer level, it will become stronger binding of this nature, let the micro-grid become trimmed, they get a unique microporous material. "

       HRL Laboratories director William Carter also supplies new materials and life in a large building materials for comparison: "In the Eiffel Tower or the Golden Gate Bridge, it is a typical modern building, the material is very light, their load-bearing effect by virtue of the support structure. we bring nano and micro concepts into new materials, it is lightweight materials innovation. " Polystyrene also has lots of use for us to discover, polystyrene recycling still needs us to do.