RUSSIAN researchers with Siemens are adding carbon nanoparticles called fullerenes to aluminium to obtain a new lightweight but tough material.
According to the company, when aluminium is enhanced with fullerenes, the resulting material is roughly three times harder than conventional composites, but weighs much less.
Siemens says it is envisaging a variety of applications for the hard aluminium, including turbines with lighter rotors for better efficiency, or as cable coatings.
Fullerenes have little effect on the electrical conductivity of the aluminium, so Siemens says it can make thinner aluminium electric cables to save material.