Jul 18 2012
World Record: Scientists from Northern Germany (Kiel University (KU) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)) Produce the Lightest Material in the World
Caption: This graphic shows a detail of the world’s lightest material: Aerographite. Open carbon tubes form a fine mesh and offer a low density of 0.2 milligram per cubic centimetre. The picture was taken with a scanning electron microscope (TEM).
Source: TUHH
Made up of a network of porous carbon tubes three-dimensionally interwoven at nano and micro level - AErographite is the lightest material in the world.
It weights only 0.2 milligrams per cubic centimetre, and is therefore 75 times lighter than Styrofoam, but it is very strong nevertheless. Scientists of Kiel University (KU) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) have named their joint creation "Aerographite". The scientific results were published as the title story in the scientific journal "Advanced Materials" on July, 3rd.
Aerographite is mainly made of Air - 99.99 % air to be exact. With the remaining 0.01% made from Carbon Nanotubes. However, despite this the scientists responsbile for its development claim that it can support up to 40,000 times it's own weight. AErographite is also electrically conductive and chemical-resistant.
Scientists from Kiel University (KU) and Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) believe that Aerographite could have a vast array of applications.