Hungarian physicist Denes Gabor said that the future cannot be foreseen, but it can be invented. And these words fully reflect reality.
Future in development
I'm sure many of you have seen the 1998 film The X-Files: The Fight for the Future. This is a fantasy film with thriller and detective elements. Today we will also talk about materials that are the future. They are not classified, but little is known about them. Because the scope of their application is still small. But over time, these materials will surely gain a foothold in the market and be widely used.
List of materials we will cover today:
- Airgel.
- Transparent aluminium.
- Metal foam.
- Self-healing concrete.
- Graphene.
- Willow Glass.
- Glass tiles.
- Building materials from mushrooms.
And now let's dwell on each of them in more detail.
Airgel
Airgel is the material of the future that can be used very soon. Information about it was published back in 2013. The development is the brainchild of Chinese scientists. This nanomaterial has repeatedlymentioned in the Guinness Book of Records. All thanks to its unique properties.
Airgel (translated into Russian as "frozen air" or "frozen smoke") is incredibly light, because its main component is air. Translucent, with a slight bluish tint, it resembles a frozen shaving foam. It is 99.8% air, which fills tiny cells that can only be seen with a microscope.
Airgel is made from ordinary gel. But instead of a liquid component, it contains a gas. With a minimum density (1000 times less than the density of glass), it is very durable. Airgel samples can withstand several thousand times their weight. It is also a good thermal insulator and can be used in astronautics.
Ease of operation makes it almost universal. But airgel will find the greatest use in construction, as a heat-insulating, moisture-proof, reliable material.
Transparent aluminum
Technologies are moving forward - and now information appears regularly in the media that scientists have created transparent aluminum. This newest material, which was recently developed and sold under the ILON brand, consists of aluminum, nitrogen and oxygen.
The main task of aluminum quartz-oxynitride is to replace bulletproof glass. However, it can be used not only for this purpose. The material of the future is impact resistant. Hisalmost impossible to scratch. At the same time, transparent aluminum is half the weight of glass.
Today ALON started to be used. Microsoft is already using metal. It is contained in the body of the "smart watch". Perhaps someday structures will be made from quartz-aluminum oxynitride. But only when the price of this material falls. Future spending is in the billions unless the cost becomes more democratic.
Metal foam
This lightweight material has the unique ability to stop a bullet in the air and turn it into dust. In this case, the composition of the foam may vary. There is no single "recipe". For example, passing gas through molten metal. Or add powdered titanium hydride to molten aluminum.
Metal foam is an example of the evolution of materials. Now they seem like a curiosity, but soon they will become something ordinary and familiar.
Due to the presence of air pockets, the foam has thermal insulating properties. It does not sink in water, it is easily cut. This allows you to use it for decorative work. Moreover, it has a natural, beautiful pattern.
The material has acoustic properties, is resistant to corrosion and does not melt even when exposed to very high temperatures. Studies of its stability have already been carried out. Even at a temperature of 1482°C, it oxidized, but its strength and structure were preserved. Lower temperatures do not affect the appearance and properties of the material at all.
Self-Healing Concrete
The durability of the erected structure during the construction of the building is always in doubt. Unscrupulous builders and low-quality materials can destroy a new building very quickly. And its restoration always requires huge financial expenses.
Dutch scientists have solved this problem. They created self-healing concrete, which contains live bacteria and calcium lactate. Imagine, concrete "patches" itself! How do they work?
Bacteria absorb calcium lactate and produce limestone. It fills cracks and almost completely restores the integrity of concrete, which will significantly save on repairs in the future and significantly increase the service life.
This bio-concrete was created by Henk Jonkers from the Technical University of the Netherlands. The scientist and his team spent 3 years to make this miracle. Henk says that he chose bacterial rods that can live for decades without water and oxygen. Bacteria are placed in special capsules. They open and “release” bacteria when water seeps through the cracks. The product has already been successfully tested on the building of the rescue station located near the lake.
This material is not currently used yet. And the future is undoubtedly his.
Graphene
Scientists are confident that this material is the future. Heis a layer of carbon 1 atom thick. It is called the thinnest material in the world.
It is noteworthy that graphene was obtained by accident - scientists Andrey Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were just having fun. For fun, they examined pieces of adhesive tape, which is used as a substrate for graphite. With the help of duct tape, they began to peel off the carbon layer by layer. And as a result, we got a perfectly even layer of carbon an atom thick. In 2010, scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery.
The properties of graphene allow us to consider it the basis of future technical developments. It is significantly stronger than steel, which will make the gadgets of the future more resistant to confirmations. And even dozens of times will speed up the speed of accessing the Internet. Such a property will surely be appreciated by every user of social networks.
Graphene is the material of the future. An interesting fact about him was recently told by scientists. In the course of research, it was revealed that two-layer monoatomic graphene can become an excellent material for body armor - hard as a diamond, but flexible.
However, this material also has disadvantages. It can harm the environment and human he alth. Graphene contamination of surface waters can make them toxic.
Continuing our list of incredible future materials.
Willow Glass
This glass was provided by Corning, which is already a manufacturer of a protective coating for smartphones and tablets called Gorilla Glass. This glass is known for its impact and scratch resistance. However, manufacturers decided to go further and develop a new coating - Willow Glass.
This is glass, the thickness of which is comparable to the thickness of A4 paper. That is only 100 microtons. In terms of its functionality, it resembles ordinary glass, and outwardly it is very similar to plastic. With one significant addition - it has flexibility. Willow Glass can be bent in different directions without fear of losing its properties.
Perhaps soon this unique glass will serve as a screen for smartphones. In addition to its amazing flexibility, Willow Glass is also incredibly resistant to high temperatures, up to 500°C.
Unfortunately, the glass does not have the strength of Gorilla Glass and does not protect so effectively from mechanical damage.
Glass tile
The glass tile was created by the Swiss company SolTech Energy. This company was established in 2006. Its activities are aimed at developing innovations in the field of alternative energy and their availability to a wide range of people. Undoubtedly, this is the material of the future.
Glass tile is not an absolute novelty, but the company's employees claim to have improved it.
Of the main advantages of such coverage are:
- Strength. The material is not inferior to its metal counterparts.
- Its size and shape are chosen in such a way that it can be used in half with a conventional metal tile.
- Beauty. Glass covering for the rooflooks spectacular and blends harmoniously with any building design.
The principle of its operation is quite simple. The sun's rays can easily pass through the glass. And then they remain on special surfaces that absorb solar energy. You can dispose of this energy at the discretion of the residents - use it for heating or for the power grid. The greatest effect is achieved when the roof is turned to the south.
"Mushroom" houses
It turns out that mushrooms are an excellent building material. The Americans first came up with this idea.
Ecovative was founded by graduates of the Polytechnic Institute. According to its founders, Gavin McIntyre and Eben Bayer, a variety of materials can be obtained from the mycelium. Not only for construction, but also for the production of shoes or furniture. The mycelium is a cluster of thin threads that feed the fungus with the microelements it needs. It decomposes organic matter in the ground (withered grass, etc.). During this process, it releases substances, sticking together the substrate on which it grows.
Create material from mushrooms in the following way: connect the mycelium and the substrate, pack the resulting substance into shapes and put in a dark place. After a few days, the mycelium dissolves the threads, as if cementing the substrate. During drying and heat treatment, mycelium is killed. The substrate becomes ready for use. The technology is simple yet ingenious, making mushrooms one of the amazing materials of the future.
