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Microlattice: Metal That's 100 Times Lighter than Styrofoam

It's springy, and makes a sound like "Boeing"

By Rain Noe - October 8, 2015

in Materials | Cars

While Airbus is figuring out how to stack folks double-height in Business Class, Boeing has been looking into ultralight metallic structures. HRL Laboratories, a research institute that does R&D for Boeing, has developed what they're calling "the world's lightest material." And despite it being 100 times lighter than Styrofoam, it's actually made out of metal.

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The researchers achieved this by creating "a lattice of interconnected hollow tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers, 1,000 times thinner than a human hair," resulting in a piece of metal (nickel, at least in the prototypes) that is 99.99% air. Take a look:

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Direct applications have not yet been settled on, but might include structural reinforcement, shock absorption or heat transfer. Also not clear is whether we'll see these "microlattices" pop up first in airplanes—or cars. HRL Laboratories also does R&D for General Motors.

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Chris Williams

9 years ago

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There is a lot that is missing or inaccurate in this report. One: The researcher in the video describes the material as a "polymer", not a metal. Two: If the material is, in fact, nickel, then nickel is not in fact the lightest metal ever. It could only be the "lightest metal ever" if it were, in fact, a new, previously undiscovered metal, which it is not. Three: The researcher in the video describes the lattice as a new material: it is not. The lattice is a structure, not a material per se. What needs to be done here is to explain the mass of the material (if it is in fact a new material) per volume, and compare that mass to other, comparable materials. Only then will we know which is "lightest". It would appear that this is promotional but not technically accurate - something that should be made clear to the lay public by our intrepid reporter.

Having said the above, I don't blame Rain Noe for whatever may be lacking in the report- I have no idea how he came by the information or from whom. Mr. Noe continues to be an informative and entertaining writer and I use this website often as an essential resource, so by all means keep up the good work.

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Douglas Bowker

8 years ago

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Let's be fair here; the video was obviously for broad general public consumption, so they took some liberties to simplify the concepts and terminology. This wasn't a White Paper, and not meant to be a peer-reviewed discussion or anything close. Granted it would have been more accurate to say:
Lightest. Metal Structural Configuration. Ever.
But... that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue nor fit easily into the screen, right?

Anyway- cool stuff there and could have SO many applications, and not just for vehicle designs! I'm assuming that initially the cost will be high, but once it's something more mainstream it would be incredibly useful for a whole range of fields. How about ultra light weight disaster relief structures? You could have this stuff sandwiched between super thin sheets of plastic or coated metal and quickly have a durable emergency housing structure up in less time and with less transportation limitations. Seems a natural for space travel applications as well. Even trade-show panels and such would be a good use.

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