Creating a Strong New Metal

A research team at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has created an extremely strong yet lightweight structural metal with a very high specific strength and modulus, or stiffness-to-weight ratio. The new metal is composed of magnesium infused with a dense and even dispersal of ceramic silicon carbide nanoparticles. They say that it could be used in lighter weight transportation vehicles and aircraft, as well as in mobile electronics and biomedical devices.