Hollow, sandwich-like nanostructure that is joined by periodic, rigid webbing to increase bending stiffness and prevent fracture.
Technology Overview:
Mechanical metamaterials are increasingly used for structural applications. In particular, sandwich structures consisting of two planar face sheets connected by a webbing or foam core, can provide an optimal design for applications that require low weight and high-stiffness. Despite their utility, currently available sandwich plates are prone to fracture or permanent deformation when mechanically loaded and have not been scaled to the nanometer scale. To overcome this issue, a new “nanocardboard” sandwich-like structure, has been invented. The nanocardboard is composed of two nanometer thick plates that are separated by a microscale gap and joined by rigid, periodic webbing. The meta-material is fabricated in a single step of atomic layer deposition of alumina on a silicon mold that contains the webbing. The optimal webbing can be a honeycomb lattice, basket-weave pattern or cylinders packed in hexagonal packing. The final, optimized basketweave webbing structure is ultrathin, ultralight, has a high bending stiffness, and resists fracture and deformation when mechanically loaded. Furthermore, the material exhibits excellent thermal-insulating properties, making it well suited for high heat applications and electrical insulation.
The nanocardboard structures are comprised of (A) two nanometer thick plates separated by a hollow microscale gap and joined by (B) periodic webbing that, in combination, allow the material to withstand fracture and deformation during mechanical loading and shearing. (C) A 13mm-diameter nanocardboard plate at macroscale.
Applications:
Advantages:
Stage of Development:
Intellectual Property:
US 11,027,514
Reference Media:
Lin, C et al.; Nat Commun 2018 9, Article number: 4442.
Desired Partnerships:
Docket # 18-8375