Tough enough: Stanford and IBM test the limits of toughness in nanocomposites (Stanford University)

(Source: Stanford University) Stanford Report, November 16, 2015 By slipping springy polystyrene molecules between layers of tough yet brittle composites, researchers made materials stronger and more flexible, in the process demonstrating the theoretical limits of how far this toughening technique could go. By Andrew Myers Dauskardt Lab Stanford and IBM researchers inserted chain-like molecules of polystyrene - the same material in a Styrofoam coffee cup - between layers of nanocomposites to make these materials tougher and more flexible. In the future, the wings of jets could be as light as balsa wood, yet stronger than the toughest metal alloys. That's the promise of nanocomposite...