Wood is a ubiquitous building material, and for good reason — it is lightweight, strong, and readily available. Natural wood consists of porous carbon material, with pores organized in regular structures known as nanolattices.
This inherent structure gives natural wood its high strength and low density. Inspired by the strength and composition of wood, researchers at the Univ. of Pennsylvania (UPenn) have mimicked this regular arrangement of pores to achieve the same effect in metals. They call their novel material metallic wood.
The general process to make metallic wood begins with a colloidal suspension of plastic particles in water that will ultimately become the template. The suspension looks similar to milk, where each particle has a uniform size and surface charge.
Would you like to access the complete CEP News Update?
No problem. You just have to complete the following steps.
You have completed 0 of 2 steps.
-
Log in
You must be logged in to view this content. Log in now.
-
AIChE Membership
You must be an AIChE member to view this article. Join now.
Copyright Permissions
Would you like to reuse content from CEP Magazine? It’s easy to request permission to reuse content. Simply click here to connect instantly to licensing services, where you can choose from a list of options regarding how you would like to reuse the desired content and complete the transaction.
