Future planes, cars may be made of 'buckypaper'

Seems like the day we're gonna see some iron man wanna be messing around is happening soon.

I wonder if it could be used in the working parts of a car too. It theoretically can be 10 times stronger than steel, so it can handle the pressures inside an engine. And carbon is famous for withstanding high temperatures. I do not know if it would create more friction or not, though.

Then again, by the time we manage to use it at it's full potential, internal combustion engines may no longer be mainstream.

Do they mean 10 times stronger than the strongest steel? Many different steels out there.

I hope they get this up and running soon. Sounds promising.

Damascus steel was turned so many times that the ancients were producing nanotubes. Stronger than that? nah... maybe lighter though...

Damascus steel was turned so many times that the ancients were producing nanotubes. Stronger than that? nah... maybe lighter though...

Modern steels far outperform the steel found in damascus swords.

Where are you guys getting this "ten times stronger than steel" bit from? The article says "10 times lighter but potentially 500 times stronger than steel". It does not, however, give the strength to mass ratio of this material in comparison to steel, nor do they give the type of steel they are comparing too.

What is the tensile strength of the strongest steel? 3 gigapascals or something like that? The maximum strength of multiwalled carbon nanotubes is around 300 gigapascals IIRC.

Patiently waiting for a buckypaper space elevator :)

when they compare the strengths it is of the highest strength steel and that of an individual carbon nanotube; hence theoretical strength of buckypaper (bc it is made of CNTs). however that is not currently the case for the bulk material. the real potential is the multi functionality of it as a preform. it has the potential to be effective in many different areas bc of the unique properties of the CNT. many of the first areas applicable will not require its use as a structural application, so the strength is not necessarily a major issue. however the ability is there, just takes some work.

and most of these benefits come from the low density, so all the strength to weight ratios will be higher for CNT (density ~1.2 g/cm3)

Lot of work taking sections off for replacement on aircraft, all this high tech stuff at some point will need to be repaired or intire sections replaced $$$$

Saying something is 300 times stronger than steel is definitely just hype.

Spider webs and silk are in that category too. Like to see a 747 made of spider web or bucky balls? not in this lifetime.

The composite of a bunch of buckminsterfullerene or more likely nano tubes into a sheet will not be as strong as the strongest sub particle.

But a light and strong composite material using nano-tubes or buckminsterfullerene may well be in full production in the near future.

Dont expect it to be 100 times stronger than the strongest steel or even 20 times stronger.

Luckily if the composite is light enough it wont even have to be as strong as steel by weight or thickness as long as it is cheeper.

Correct
One of the problems with composite carbon fiber as it was being integrated into aerospace 20 to 30 years ago was keeping the cost down. Manufactures were not very fond of us aerospace guys back then. Qualification of material was huge compared to using it for golf clubs and fishing poles.
Sounds better saying future planes and cars than future fishing poles and golf clubs.

Lot of work taking sections off for replacement on aircraft, all this high tech stuff at some point will need to be repaired or intire sections replaced $$$$

actually one of the major prospects for the change to composite materials for use on aircrafts is the savings due to reduced maintanence. 1) composites do not oxidize or have other degenerative problems found in metals. 2) the long term goal is to build multi-functionality into the materials so they are self sensing. With that aircrafts would not require preventative maintanence. when possible microfactures or other failure modes occur, the material will detect and signet, prompting repair. so you save money by keeping the plane in use.

and 300 times stronger than steel is not hype. is the property of the carbon nanotube. you are right the bulk material does not have these properties, yet. that is why we do the research to get there. and 20 times stronger than steel for the bulk material is actually not that outlandish when looking down the road. We have had composite materials that are stronger/stiffer than steel for sometime now.

and strude is right, cost and property database are huge issues in the development of new materials. but give it some time guys. i mean, we have had metals for what, hundreds of years. we have only be fabricating advanced composite materials for several decades, don't worry we will get there.