Are we one step closer to being able to use the world’s strongest material?

Nicola Davison, CNN
Updated 5:08 AM EDT, Mon May 15, 2017
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a new material that is 10 times stronger than steel. Scroll through the gallery to see other examples of extraordinary materials.
Graphene-gyroid —
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a new material that is 10 times stronger than steel. Scroll through the gallery to see other examples of extraordinary materials.
melanie gonick/MIT
The MIT researchers discovered that fusing small flakes of graphene -- widely regarded as the world's strongest known material -- into a gyroid-shaped structure creates a new material that is unusually light but still distinctly strong.
Graphene-gyroid —
The MIT researchers discovered that fusing small flakes of graphene -- widely regarded as the world's strongest known material -- into a gyroid-shaped structure creates a new material that is unusually light but still distinctly strong.
One of the researchers on the project, Zhao Qin, says he thinks that the graphene-gyroid material could one day be widely used in engineering and architecture.
Graphene-gyroid —
One of the researchers on the project, Zhao Qin, says he thinks that the graphene-gyroid material could one day be widely used in engineering and architecture.
Courtesy Gang Seob Jung
In August 2016, scientists at the University of Maryland created transparent wood.
Transparent wood —
In August 2016, scientists at the University of Maryland created transparent wood.
courtesy university of maryland
First the scientists remove lignin, an organic substance that is responsible for giving wood a "yellow-ish" color.
Transparent wood —
First the scientists remove lignin, an organic substance that is responsible for giving wood a "yellow-ish" color.
courtesy university of maryland
Once stripped of lignin, the wood is injected with an epoxy to strengthen it. Research suggests that transparent wood may one day be used as a substitute to glass.
Transparent wood —
Once stripped of lignin, the wood is injected with an epoxy to strengthen it. Research suggests that transparent wood may one day be used as a substitute to glass.
courtesy university of maryland
At London Design Festival last year, architect Alison Brooks revealed "The Smile": a 34-meter long structure which is the most complex structure ever to be made out of cross-laminated timber.
At London Design Festival last year, architect Alison Brooks revealed "The Smile": a 34-meter long structure which is the most complex structure ever to be made out of cross-laminated timber.
Courtesy Dav Stewart
The large structure shows the potential of cross-laminated American tulipwood, which is stronger than concrete.
The large structure shows the potential of cross-laminated American tulipwood, which is stronger than concrete.
Courtesy Dav Stewart
In July last year, Mexican scientist José Carlos Rubio Avalos created glow-in-the-dark cement.
Glowing concrete —
In July last year, Mexican scientist José Carlos Rubio Avalos created glow-in-the-dark cement.
Courtesy Roosengaarde
The flowing material soaks in the suns rays during the day, and emits light at night.
The flowing material soaks in the suns rays during the day, and emits light at night.
Courtesy Roosengarde
Incredible innovations: These materials could change the world
CNN  — 

It has been 15 years since the discovery of graphene, an ultra-thin sheet of carbon that is thought to be the strongest material on the planet.

Although graphene is much stronger than steel, turning it into a useful material for architecture has so far proved tricky. Translating two-dimensional graphene into a three-dimensional structure – the building blocks of a material – has been difficult. Graphene “wants” to stay two-dimensional.

The incredible possibilities of 'invisible' wood

That may be set to change thanks to a team of researchers at MIT.

Using computer modeling, the researchers have designed a new – currently nameless – material, a sponge-like configuration that is just 5% the density of steel and about 10 times as strong.

This makes it both extraordinarily light but able to carry heavy loads – properties that the researchers think make the material ideal for future use in design or architecture.

“We can use this kind of material as a substitute for a lot of materials used in infrastructure, like bridges, or as a substitute for steel and concrete,” says Zhao Qin, one of the research scientists who worked on the development of the material at MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The origins of graphene

Graphene was first discovered in 2002 by Andrew Geim, a physics professor at the University of Manchester.

orig ff strongest material graphene pioneers_00022208.jpg
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Discovering the world's strongest material
02:25 - Source: CNN

Geim was interested in seeing how microscopically thin layers of carbon might behave by themselves.

He looked to graphite, the substance used in pencils that is made of thin, weakly bonded layers of carbon (the reason why dragging a pencil across a piece of paper will produce a visible line).

Geim used Scotch tape to peel away ever-thinner “flakes” of graphite until he eventually had a layer that was just one atom thick: graphene, the first two-dimensional material discovered. Under an atomic microscope, graphene looks like a flat lattice of hexagons in a honeycomb arrangement.

As well as being incredibly strong, graphene is pliable like rubber and can carry a thousand times more electricity than copper.