lab at boeing fabricates microlattice – the ‘lightest synthetic metal ever made’
with hopes to make microlattice a potential material for future planes and vehicles, it is actually a nickel-phosphorus alloy structure light enough to balance on top of a dandelion.
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lab at boeing fabricates microlattice – the lightest synthetic metal ever made
all images courtesy of boeing
aerospace specialists boeing revealed a material they are calling ‘the lightest metal ever made’ – mircolattice. the metal is actually a nickel-phosphorus alloy that is coated onto an open polymer structure. the polymer is then removed, leaving a structure that consists of 100nano meter thick walls of the nickel-phosphorus, thus being 99.99% air. while it’s structure makes it strong, it’s light enough to balance on top of a dandelion. framed around a rigid outer layer and mostly hollow inner composition, scientists looked to human bones to create a 3D open cellular structure. this arrangement makes the metal lightweight and very hard to crush. boeing hopes the strength and lightness make it a potential metal for future planes and vehicles.
video courtesy of boeing
the metal design is heavily influenced by the human bone structure
the metal under pressure testing
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