MIT Develops New Material Said To Be Stronger Than Steel, As Light As Plastic

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CAMBRIDGE (CBS) -- MIT researchers have developed a new material that they say is stronger than steel but as light as plastic.

One of the researchers said the material, which can be mass produced, could be used as a coating for cars and phones, or as a building material for bridges.

It is several times stronger than bulletproof glass, and the amount of force needed to break it is twice that of steel.

Image credit: Polymer film courtesy of the researchers; Christine Daniloff, MIT

"We don't usually think of plastics as being something that you could use to support a building, but with this material, you can enable new things," MIT chemical engineering professor Michael Strano said. "It has very unusual properties and we're very excited about that."

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Cambridge News