Nanomaterials Show Unexpected Strength Under Stress

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NIST researchers have shown that substances such as silica that are brittle in bulk exhibit ductile behavior at the nanoscale. Computer simulations demonstrate the material extension and necking that occurs during the separation of amorphous (top) an ...
NIST researchers have shown that substances such as silica that are brittle in bulk exhibit ductile behavior at the nanoscale. Computer simulations demonstrate the material extension and necking that occurs during the separation of amorphous (top) and crystalline (bottom) silica nanoparticles. Credit: NIST

In yet another twist on the strangeness of the nanoworld, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland-College Park have discovered that materials such as silica that are quite brittle in bulk form behave as ductile as gold at the nanoscale. Their results may affect the design of future nanomachines.


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