Scientists have found a way to use defects in crystals to engineer stronger materials, according to a new study.
These imperfections, usually caused by tiny distortions within the material, could be a powerful design tool for building complex, three-dimensional structures.
Using a two-step process to strengthen a pair of metal alloys, researchers found that organizing defects in dense networks could arrange the atoms within the material in a way that strengthened the alloys without changing the chemical composition.
Notably, this method significantly increased both the amount of stress the metals could withstand and their resistance to gradual warping at high temperatures. These results suggest that adding a layer of engineered defects to structural materials could complement conventional materials design, said Andreas Bezold, lead author of the study and an adjunct assistant professor of materials science and engineering at The Ohio State University.
"Defects are very important to learn more about, because by understanding how they interact with a material's internal structure helps us design stronger materials," he said.
The study is published today (Oct. 15, 2026) in Science.
Built on previous Ohio State research that showed how microscopic defects that form during deformation can be turned into layers that strengthen the structure, this team's approach is the first to introduce densities that fully enrich these alloys. Using this method to develop alloys with more advanced properties could help scientists create more sustainable, longer-lasting materials.
"We wanted to make these strengthening structures a deliberate part of the material's design," said Bezold. "So it was fascinating to see how defects could have such a positive effect on the overall durability of the alloys."
To measure how defects could strengthen metal, researchers first deformed the crystals in a cobalt-nickel-based superalloy and a cobalt-chromium-tungsten alloy, then used heat to slowly age them. This process created atomically thin, dense features in the structure that scientists could analyze.
Utilizing a combination of two techniques, transmission electron microscopy and computer simulations, the team found that the resulting boost in strength was linked to how atoms were arranged around the structural defects. Altering this complex formation could influence the strength of the material.
"Seeing the strengthening process on the atomic scale was quite stunning, since despite being associated with damage, the right defects with the right structure and chemistry can actually make a material stronger," said Michael Mills, co-author of the study and a professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State.
In the future, this method could be used to create high-strength alloys for technologies that have to withstand high temperatures, such as aircraft turbine engines or power plant machinery. For now, Bezold's team is helping pave the way for richer design principles in engineering.
"This is a field that is quickly becoming very exciting," he said. "We hope that this idea becomes a new lever that strengthens and pushes the limits of material engineering even further."
This study was supported by Ohio State's Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis, the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Other co-authors include Yunzhi Wang from Ohio State; Manuel Köbrich, Jan Vollhüter, Lukas Amon, Jan Vollhüter, Mathias Göken, Steffen Neumeier, Nicolas Karpstein and Erdmann Spiecker from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany; and Longsheng Feng from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.