The Engineering Behind World's Strongest and Lightest Foam

Motherboard visits the laboratory of Nikhil Gupta, a professor who is currently working on creating lightweight metal foams that could be a game changer for our transportation of tomorrow.
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[@MikeTrieu]

This is basically the stuff they line the outside of US embassies with to protect against bomb blasts. It's really tough stuff. The shockwave just compresses all the little hollow spheres until it dissipates all its energy. There's a reason why arches are used in architecture the world over. They're super strong!

[@edbouhl3100]

Material Sciences 101 - “Structure determines properties.”

[@stevesloan6775]

Rad research!
I hear there’s a new HyperCar using this technology.

[@japrogramer]

Indeed an important part of the life.

[@sahasratan784]

Sir ji great

[@JGlobalFood]

I was happy while I was watching!

[@theharbingerofconflation]

Thank the military for this not being in general circulation yet.

[@bryanbennett1659]

Behind the world’s strongest and lightest foam (no “most”)

[@mohjidkhan739]

From where we get these tiny hollow balls commercially? Kindly help.

[@jeffbenton6183]

They make it themselves, I think

[@master.programmer_0]

How dense can you make it
Like breaking up weed on the finish product
Like chemicals sustainable aromatic on a whisk to a nice clay attribute to the wheel
Compressed is what I'm looking for on this project

[@EliteXtasy]

Is it recyclable like metal? Or at least biodegradeable?

[@maaingan]

Elite uh, it IS metal. It can be melted down and reused to make six hundred spaghetti-o’s cans, or re-melted and made into more armor plates again. This is the future of personal protection and material armor technologies. Imagine impenetrable body armor, unsinkable ships, invisible aircraft, and a new era in wearable technology that improves the daily lives of all civilized peoples. This armor technology defeats all conventional firearm powers. Whoever masters this tech will be able to achieve centuries worth of mastery over nature

[@TheArabsolga]

It's metal with air bubbles inside. So, yes.

[@user-cv2ir9zr7w]

what material are spheres made of?

[@luvjit2596]

Yeahh...india

[@adhd_with_pennies4867]

Make full body armor suit

[@sahasratan784]

Gupta ji

[@gospelninja2.016]

You look like the perfect guy to join the military.

[@leroyessel2010]

Compressed densified wood is stronger than steel and much lighter.

[@bishal_k_roy]

Whenever something of Intelligence is going in the west, there's one Indian guy involved.

[@geddyleesowlnose]

Lol

[@Threadox]

Why exactly is this on Vice Asia

[@knowyourrights9793]

This guy created this foam?!?
I was watching, How stuff works-Aluminum, and they showed a company in Canada that was making Aluminum Foam sheets & that episode was from the mid 2000's.
Hmmm..

[@tomaspabon2484]

He made syntactic foam, like he explained it's not a true foam, it's a composite with hollow particles. metal foam is already an established material. Listening skills are important

[@h3nrymartinex1987]

Very smart but use it for good 😉

[@jose-cl8rk]

and i oop-

[@incorrectformat]

get a comb

[@spotoncam3640]

India's loss is America's gain !

[@user-xh2gj4dy5n]

Is this lighter than carbon fibre

[@jeffbenton6183]

It's about the same weight - or a little heavier, but it can be used in different applications. Carbon fiber is good in certain structural applications, but it's not so useful in armor. This would also make a better pressure vessel for a submarine than carbon fiber would.

[@Katharsis540]

Biodegradable?

[@ladymadonna4837]

Penso proprio di sì...

[@jeffbenton6183]

No - recyclable. It's metal.