Originally shared by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory RECORD BREAKING MATERIAL 3D PRINTED WITH LIGHT

Originally shared by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

RECORD BREAKING MATERIAL 3D PRINTED WITH LIGHT

New ultralight materials developed by LLNL and MIT researchers are displaying record-breaking stiffness at low densities, according to a paper published in the journal Science. These micro-architected materials are capable of withstanding a load of at least 160,000 times their own weight.

This exceptional combination of low density and high strength is derived from micro-architecture of unit cells that are 3D printed with light using a novel additive manufacturing process called projection micro-stereolithography. This visualization shows an array of these unit cells.

More from LLNL: http://1.usa.gov/UibVe8
More from MIT: http://mitne.ws/1nn7zdV