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6 Futuristic Construction Materials That Will Change The Way We Build Stuff
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TheUniversityofManchester(http://www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk/story/imagegallery/)

Scientistsareconstantlyonthelookoutforlighter,stronger,andmoreenergyefficientmaterials.Here'saglanceatsome
materialsthatwillchangethewaywebuildthingsinthefuture.

Grapheneisextremelythinandstrong.
Whatitis:Grapheneisasubstancemadeofpurecarbon.Thecarbonisarrangedinahoneycombpatterninaoneatom
thicksheet.Anotherwaytothinkofgraphene:Eachtimewewritewithagraphitepencil,wearebasicallymakinglayersof
graphene.
Howit'stransformative:Graphenehasbeencalleda"miraclematerial"becauseit'sthin,strong,flexible,conducts
electricity,anditsnearlytransparent.Itspotentialapplicationsarepracticallylimitless.GrapheneresearcherswontheNobel
PrizeinPhysics(http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2010/press.html)in2010fordevelopingthe
wondermaterialandnowyoucanevenmakeitinyourkitchen(http://www.businessinsider.com/makegrapheneinyour
kitchen20144).

6FuturisticConstructionMaterials
ThatWillChangeTheWayWeBuild

7PsychologyTricksToInfluence
PeopleAndGetExactlyWhatYou

StormChaserCapturesAbsolutely
TerrifyingVideoOfBeingStuckRight

GoProFootageCapturesInstant
BondBetweenScubaDiverAnd

THESHANGRILADIET:Th

PsychologistSethRoberts

Suggesteduses:Solarcells,touchscreens,liquidcrystaldisplays,desalination(http://www.businessinsider.com/lockheed
martindesalinationgraphenefilters20133)technology,aerospacematerials,moreefficienttransistors,chemicalsensors
thatcandetectexplosives

Asuperwaterproofmaterialmakesdropsbounce.
Whatitis:Asurfacetextured(http://www.businessinsider.com/anewsuperwaterproofmaterialmakeswaterdrops
bounceoffit201310)withextremelytinyconesrepelswaterdroplets.Thesuperhydrophobicsurface,createdbyateamat
BrookhavenLaboratoryinNewYork(http://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=11583),isunlikeotherwaterresistant
materialsbecauseitcanstanduptoconditionsofextremetemperature,pressure,andhumidity.
Howit'stransformative:Thesesurfacesnotonlydon'tgetwet,butwouldstaycleanersincethewaterdropletscarrydirt
withthemastheyrolloff(thismimicstheselfcleaningpropertiesofnature).Thematerialwouldbeusefulforpreventingice
oralgaebuilduporevenasanantibacterialcoating.
Suggesteduses:Coatingboathulls,carparts,andmedicaldevices,carandplanewindshields,steamturbinepower
generators

Aerographiteis75timeslighterthanstyrofoam.
Whatitis:Aerographite(http://www.businessinsider.com/newmaterialislightestintheworld20127#),createdby
researchersattheHamburgUniversityofTechnology(http://www.unikiel.de/aktuell/pm/2012/2012212aerographit
e.shtml)in2012,ismadefromnetworksofhollowcarbontubes.It'sblackincolor(becauseitabsorbslightraysalmost
completely),stableatroomtemperature,andisabletoconductelectricity.Thematerialisreallystrong,butalsobendable.
Howit'stransformative:Thematerialcanbecompressedintoaspace95%itsnormalareaandthenpulledbacktoits
originalformwithoutbeingdamaged.Thestressmakesthematerialevenstronger.Thisisuniquesincemostlightweight
materialscanbecompressed,butcan'twithstandtension.Thematerialcanalsowithstandalotofvibration,whichmeansit
canbeusedforairplanesandsatellites.
Suggesteduses:Lighterbatteriesforelectriccarsandbikes,moreefficientwaterandairpurificationsystems,aviation,and
satellites.

6FuturisticConstructionMaterials
ThatWillChangeTheWayWeBuild

7PsychologyTricksToInfluence
PeopleAndGetExactlyWhatYou

StormChaserCapturesAbsolutely
TerrifyingVideoOfBeingStuckRight

GoProFootageCapturesInstant
BondBetweenScubaDiverAnd

THESHANGRILADIET:Th

PsychologistSethRoberts

Anultrathinmaterialprovidesprotectionagainsthighspeedobjects.
Whatitis:AsuperthinmaterialcreatedbyresearchersatRiceUniversityandMITcanstopafastmovingprojectile
(http://www.businessinsider.com/paperthinmaterialcanstopbulletsintheirtracks201211),suchasabullet,initspath.
Thematerial,madefromalternatingrubberandglassylayersthatareeachjust20nanometersthick,isgoodatdispersing
energy.Afterbeingpelted(http://news.rice.edu/2012/10/30/microbulletsrevealmaterialstrengths2/)withtinyglass
beads,thecomplexpolyurethanematerialnotonlystoppedthebullets,italsosealedtheminside,makingitappearasifno
damagehadbeendone.
Howit'stransformative:Whenstruck,thematerialmeltsintoliquidtoabsorbtheenergyandthenquicklyhardenstoclosethe

entryway."There'snomacroscopicdamage,"projectresearcherNedThomasexplainedinastatement
(http://news.rice.edu/2012/10/30/microbulletsrevealmaterialstrengths2/)."Youcanstillseethroughit.Thiswouldbea
greatballisticwindshieldmaterial."
Suggesteduses:Protectionforsatellitesagainstmeteorsandotherspacedebris,strongerjetturbineblades,andstronger,lighterarmorforsoldiersandpolice

6FuturisticConstructionMaterials
ThatWillChangeTheWayWeBuild

7PsychologyTricksToInfluence
PeopleAndGetExactlyWhatYou

StormChaserCapturesAbsolutely
TerrifyingVideoOfBeingStuckRight

GoProFootageCapturesInstant
BondBetweenScubaDiverAnd

THESHANGRILADIET:Th

PsychologistSethRoberts

Livebacteriaisusedtomakeselfhealingconcrete.
Whatitis:Concreteisapopularbuildingmaterial,butit'svulnerabletocracks.Waterandchloridefromicingsaltcanseep
intopreexistingfissuresandmakethemlarger.Overtime,thiscanbecomeadangerous(andexpensive)problem.Selfhealing
concrete(http://www.businessinsider.com/bacteriamakeconcreteselfhealing201211),developedbyscientistsatDelft
UniversityintheNetherlands(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJc8Xyk3w9o),useslivebacteriamixedintothe
concretebeforeitispouredtosealupthosefractures.
Howit'stransformative:Whenwatergetsintothecracks,thebacteriaisactivatedandproducesacomponentinlimestone
calledcalcitethatfillsupthecrackcompletely.Researchersarestillconductingoutdoorteststoseeiftheconcretecanbeput
torealuse.
Suggesteduses:Sidewalks,buildingfoundations,otherarchitecturalstructures

6FuturisticConstructionMaterials
ThatWillChangeTheWayWeBuild

7PsychologyTricksToInfluence
PeopleAndGetExactlyWhatYou

StormChaserCapturesAbsolutely
TerrifyingVideoOfBeingStuckRight

GoProFootageCapturesInstant
BondBetweenScubaDiverAnd

THESHANGRILADIET:Th

PsychologistSethRoberts

Abonelikematerialthat'slighterthanwater,butstrongerthansometypesofsteel.
JensBauerattheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnologyrecentlydevelopedahoneycombstructuredmaterialthatislessdense
thanwater(http://www.businessinsider.com/newmaterialislighterthanwaterstrongerthansteel20143),butasstrong
assomeformsofsteel.
"Thenovellightweightconstructionmaterialsresembletheframeworkstructureofahalftimberedhousewithhorizontal,
vertical,anddiagonalstruts,"leadresearcherJensBauer,saidinastatement.
Theresearcherssamples"contained45percenttomorethan90percentair,makingthemextremelylightweightwhilealso
withstandingmorethan46,000poundspersquareinchofpressure,"accordingtoTxchnologist
(http://www.businessinsider.com/newmaterialislighterthanwaterstrongerthansteel20143).
Howit'stransformative:Eventhoughobjectsmadefromthismaterialcanonlybemanufacturedinthemicrometerrange
rightnow,thisisthefirsttimescientistswereabletoproduceamaterialthatexceeds"thestrengthtoweightratioofall
engineeringmaterials,withadensitybelow1,000kg/m3,"theauthorswroteinapaper
(http://www.pnas.org/content/111/7/2453).
Suggesteduses:Insulation,shockabsorbers,filtersinthechemicalindustry

6FuturisticConstructionMaterials
ThatWillChangeTheWayWeBuild

7PsychologyTricksToInfluence
PeopleAndGetExactlyWhatYou

StormChaserCapturesAbsolutely
TerrifyingVideoOfBeingStuckRight

GoProFootageCapturesInstant
BondBetweenScubaDiverAnd

THESHANGRILADIET:Th

PsychologistSethRoberts