Researchers have created a metallic microlattice that has a density less than that of air and can spring back into shape after being compressed by more than 50%. Low-density materials such as foams usually have inferior mechanical propertkss including low strength. Tobias Sehaedler at HRL Laboratories in Malibu, California, and his colleagues fabricated a three-dimensional polymer lattice, and coated it with a thin nickel-phosphorus film. They then etched away the polymer, leaving an ultralight lattice of hollow tubes (pictured) with a density of just 0.9 milligrams per cubic centimetre. The microlattice had better mechanical properties than other lightweight materials and was able to absorb and dissipate energy at a level similar to viscoelastic polymers.
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