Speaking of the industry's so-called "super material", I believe many people would think of first is sapphire. Yes, this ultra-high hardness materials because Apple's favor and concern. But apart from sapphire, scientists have developed in the laboratory of a significant number of super material, this paper will be one of six kinds are introduced.
Self-healing materials - Bionic plastic
The body has a very strong ability to repair itself, but the built environment but does not have this ability. Last year, Scott White of the University of Illinois have developed a self-healing ability of bionic plastic. Such polymers embedded with a liquid constituted by a "vascular system", when there is damage, the liquid can be same as the blood leaking and caking. Compared to those other only repair small cracks in the material, which can be repaired bionic plastic cracks up to 4 mm wide.
Thermoelectric materials - heat scavenger
For any one who will use energy equipment, waste heat generation is inevitable. According to estimates, all energy used by man among them, two-thirds are in the form of waste heat lost. But if there is a way to capture these wasted energy?
Last year, a company called Alphabet Energy's developed a hot generator, it can be inserted directly into the exhaust pipe ordinary generator, thereby converting waste heat into usable electricity. This generator uses a relatively cheap and natural thermoelectric material called tetrahedrite, reportedly can reach 5-10% of energy efficiency.
Among the laboratory, scientists have been studying another prospect may have even more energy-efficient thermoelectric materials, called skutterudite, a cobalt-containing minerals.Thermoelectric materials has begun a small-scale applications - such as in the spaceship - but Skutterudite with inexpensive and energy-efficient features, can be used to wrap the exhaust pipe cars, refrigerators, or any machine.
Perovskite - cheap solar cells
Cost is the biggest obstacle to the development of renewable energy. Solar energy is becoming more expensive, but the use of crystalline silicon solar cell production costs and energy consumption is still very high. May in addition to crystalline silicon, there is a solar cell fabricated alternative materials available, that is a perovskite.
Perovskites have been found dating back over 100 years, but scientists are only now beginning to realize the potential of this material. In 2009, the use of a solar cell produced perovskite includes a 3.8% of the solar energy conversion. To 2014, this figure has been raised to 19.3%. Compared to conventional crystalline silicon cells more than 20% of the energy efficiency, which may be nothing, but here there are two other key points to consider: First, energy efficiency perovskite only in a few years it has been improved dramatically and scientists believe that this material still improve future possible; cost Second, the perovskite much lower.
Perovskite is formed of a material category specific crystal structure defined, they can contain any number of elements, used in the solar cell which is generally lead and tin. Compared to crystalline silicon, which is much cheaper raw materials, and that can be sprayed on the glass, without carefully assembled in a clean room in which.
Aerogel - ultra-light, ultra-tough
Aerogel seem like an unreal material. Although emptiness looks ethereal, but it can easily withstand a blowtorch heat lamp, or weight of a car. As its name suggests, this is a complete replacement of the liquid is air colloid, which is why it looks like a cloud of smoke. Aerogels can be made of any number of materials, including silica, metal oxides, and graphene. As the air accounted for the majority share, airgel is also an excellent insulator. It also gives the structure of its high strength and toughness.
But aerogels also have a fatal flaw: brittle, especially when the raw material is silicon dioxide.NASA scientists have been experimenting with a flexible airgel made of a polymer, as the spacecraft through the atmosphere at the time of the insulating material. The other compounds were added to the silica airgel can increase their flexibility, coupled with its own light, tough and insulation, which will make it an incredible material.
Metamaterials - light manipulator
if you've heard metamaterials (Metamaterial), that describes the material of which it should also mention the "Harry Potter" and "invisibility cloak." Yes, nanostructured metamaterials can in a particular way to light scattering, in the future, it might really be able to make objects invisible.
Even more interesting is that metamaterials can only be re-oriented to visible light. According to the different production methods and materials, metamaterials can scatter microwave, radio waves, and a little-known T-rays. In fact, any kind of the electromagnetic spectrum can be controlled by the metamaterial.
For example, if a new super material T-ray scanners, its performance can be changed at any time, whether it is being used in the medical or security.
Stanene-- conductivity of the material of 100%
And graphene like, Stanene also a monoatomic layer of the material produced. However, due to the use of tin atoms rather than carbon atoms, which includes the graphene it unachievable characteristics: 100% conductivity.
Stanene in 2013 performed the first theorized by Professor Zhang Shousheng Stanford University. Stanene predict electronic properties of these materials is one of the areas of the laboratory of Professor Zhang are good, according to their model, Stanene is a topological insulator, that is, its edge is a conductor, and the interior is an insulator. Thus, Stanene can zero resistance at room temperature conductivity.
Stanene the property has not been experimentally tested - after making single tin atom is not an easy task - but Professor Zhang predicted for a number of other topological insulators have been proved to be correct.
If the forecast for Stanene also been shown that it is possible to have a revolutionary impact on all electronic devices inside the microchip. That is, the performance of the chip will be greatly enhanced. Due to the heat generated by electronic, silicon chip performance is somewhat limited - if running too fast, too high fever will - and owns 100% conductivity Stanene there will not be such a problem.
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