University of Pennsylvania engineers have altered a sheet of nickel to produce a material they call "metallic wood", which is extremely strong and light.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania took inspiration from the natural world to build pores into the nickel on a nanoscale level, making it less dense.
About 70 per cent of the final material is empty space, giving it a density similar to water ? light enough that a brick of it would float.
"Metallic wood" as strong as titanium
Still working on the nanoscale, just above the size of atoms, they reinforced load-bearing struts within the nickel to increase the material's overall strength to that of titanium, although it is four to five times lighter.
"We refer to this material as a 'metallic wood', because it has the high mechanical strength and chemical stability of metal, as well as a density close to that of natural materials such as wood," wrote the researchers in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Titanium is the current metal of choice for products ranging from aircraft to tennis racquets because of its high strength-to-weight ratio.
Metallic wood would theoretically be more high performing, but it is not yet ready for commercial production and would require more testing.
Material "beautiful" as well as strong and light
The researchers' samples of the material are in sheets of just a few centimetres squared ? enough to be used for high-value items l...