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from the Sade-would-dig-these-Diamond-Life-threads dept.
Would you dress in diamond nanothreads? It's not as far-fetched as you might think. And you'll have a Brisbane-based carbon chemist and engineer to thank for it.
QUT's [Queensland University of Technology. ] Dr Haifei Zhan is leading a global effort to work out how many ways humanity can use a newly-invented material with enormous potential -- diamond nanothread (DNT).
First created by Pennsylvania State University last year, one-dimensional DNT is similar to carbon nanotubes, hollow cylindrical tubes 10,000 times smaller than human hair, stronger than steel -- but brittle.
"DNT, by comparison, is even thinner, incorporating kinks of hydrogen in the carbon's hollow structure, called Stone-Wale (SW) transformation defects, which I've discovered reduces brittleness and adds flexibility," said Dr Zhan, from QUT's School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering.
"That structure makes DNT a great candidate for a range of uses. It's possible DNT may become as ubiquitous a[s] plastic in the future, used in everything from clothing to cars.
(Score: 2) by Unixnut on Wednesday November 09 2016, @10:26AM
Call me when they can make it in bulk, at an affordable price for industrial use.
Carbon nanotubes can do wonders as well, but we still cannot make them industrially, which limits their potential.