Triton 47 › Making & hardware › After the PhD
Materials of the future
Index note GPT: carbyne, borophene…, nuclear-force materials; "AI model that harbors all materials" wish; Planet Crafter again

Me: which material is stronger than graphene
ChatGPT4o:
While graphene is incredibly strong, there are other materials that can rival or exceed its strength in specific contexts. Below is a list of materials that may be considered stronger than graphene in certain aspects, along with their properties:
1. Carbyne
- Structure: A linear chain of carbon atoms connected by alternating single and triple bonds.
- Strength: Predicted tensile strength is 40% higher than graphene.
- Elastic Modulus: Around 32 TPa, much higher than graphene’s 1 TPa.
- Challenges: Extremely unstable and hard to synthesize in long chains. Existing carbyne is only theoretical or confined to lab conditions.
2. Borophene
- Structure: A 2D material made of boron atoms in a hexagonal lattice.
- Strength: It has higher strength-to-weight and stiffness properties than graphene.
- Applications: Borophene is predicted to perform better than graphene in areas like hydrogen storage and flexible electronics.
- Challenges: It’s very unstable in air and harder to synthesize than graphene.
3. Diamond Nanothreads
- Structure: A one-dimensional string of carbon atoms in a diamond-like structure.
- Strength: Theoretical tensile strength surpasses graphene’s, with better compressive strength due to its 3D structure.
- Applications: Potential for use in ultra-strong composites and advanced nanotechnology.
4. Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs)
- Structure: Cylindrical tubes made from rolled graphene sheets.
- Strength: Tensile strength is up to 150 GPa, which is comparable to or higher than graphene.
- Elastic Modulus: Around 1 TPa.
- Applications: Reinforcement in composites, aerospace structures, and nanotechnology.
- Limitations: CNTs have anisotropic strength, meaning they’re strong along the tube but weak in other directions.
5. Metallic Glasses
- Structure: Amorphous (non-crystalline) metals, typically alloys.
- Strength: Exceptional yield strength (up to 5 GPa), making them stronger than steel and more durable than graphene for bulk applications.
- Applications: Used in high-strength structural components.
- Limitations: Not as light as graphene.
6. Lonsdaleite (Hexagonal Diamond)
- Structure: Similar to diamond but with a hexagonal atomic lattice.
- Strength: Theoretical strength exceeds that of graphene and traditional diamond by 58%.
- Applications: Cutting tools, wear-resistant coatings.
- Challenges: Rare and hard to synthesize in bulk.
7. Nuclear Pasta
- Structure: A theoretical material found in neutron stars, formed by ultra-dense nuclei in a pasta-like arrangement.
- Strength: Estimated to be 10 billion times stronger than steel, far exceeding graphene or any other known material.
- Applications: Purely theoretical and not accessible on Earth.
8. Aggregated Diamond Nanorods (ADNR)
- Structure: A synthetic material made of tightly packed nanodiamonds.
- Strength: Higher hardness and compressive strength than natural diamond.
- Applications: High-pressure applications, cutting tools, or wear-resistant materials.
Comparison: Strength vs. Real-world Usability
| Material | Strength | Usability Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Graphene | 130 GPa | Defect-sensitive, difficult for bulk use. |
| Carbyne | ~200 GPa | Highly unstable, mostly theoretical. |
| Borophene | >130 GPa | Unstable in air, complex synthesis. |
| Carbon Nanotubes | 150 GPa | Anisotropic strength. |
| Lonsdaleite | >130 GPa | Rare and hard to synthesize. |
| Metallic Glasses | ~5 GPa | Heavier than graphene. |
| Nuclear Pasta | Extreme | Exists only in neutron stars. |
Conclusion
Graphene remains a highly practical and versatile material, but Carbyne and Lonsdaleite may surpass it in theoretical strength. However, most of these materials face significant challenges in synthesis, stability, and scalability. For practical applications, graphene and carbon nanotubes remain the best options.
Me: arent there any more realisticpractical material than graphene and carbon,
note that these are only carbon atoms, 6p6n 6e , in the universe
ChatGPT4o:
Yes, there are other materials that are more realistic and practical than graphene or pure carbon-based materials for certain applications. While graphene and its derivatives are impressive, their carbon-only atomic structure limits certain properties like compressive strength, chemical diversity, and multi-functional behavior. Below are materials made from different elements or compounds that could outperform graphene in practical contexts:
1. Kevlar
- Composition: An aramid polymer consisting of long chains of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
- Strength: Extremely strong under tensile stress; used in bulletproof vests, ropes, and helmets.
- Advantages:
- Highly flexible yet strong.
- Resistant to heat and chemical degradation.
- Applications: Body armor, protective gear, industrial cables.
- Limitations: Weaker under compressive stress compared to graphene.
2. Tungsten Carbide (WC)
- Composition: A compound of tungsten and carbon atoms.
- Strength: Known for its extreme hardness and high compressive strength.
- Advantages:
- Outstanding hardness (~9 on the Mohs scale).
- Exceptional wear resistance and thermal stability.
- Applications: Cutting tools, mining equipment, armor-piercing shells.
- Limitations: Heavy and brittle under extreme stress.
3. Boron Nitride (BN)
- Composition: A compound of boron and nitrogen, often compared to graphene in its hexagonal form (h-BN).
- Strength: High mechanical strength and chemical stability.
- Advantages:
- Heat-resistant up to 1000°C.
- Electrically insulating while being thermally conductive.
- Applications: Electronics, lubricants, coatings for high-temperature environments.
- Limitations: Production cost is higher than graphene.
4. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)
- Composition: A type of polyethylene with extremely long polymer chains.
- Strength: Tensile strength up to 2.4 GPa, rivaling steel on a weight basis.
- Advantages:
- Lightweight and highly resistant to abrasion.
- Can float on water and resists most chemicals.
- Applications: Bulletproof vests, medical implants, ropes, and marine equipment.
- Limitations: Susceptible to UV degradation unless stabilized.
5. Titanium Alloys (e.g., Ti-6Al-4V)
- Composition: A mix of titanium, aluminum, and vanadium.
- Strength: Tensile strength up to 1.2 GPa with excellent weight-to-strength ratio.
- Advantages:
- Corrosion-resistant and biocompatible.
- High strength under both tensile and compressive loads.
- Applications: Aerospace, medical implants, sports equipment.
- Limitations: Expensive and less strong than carbon-based materials on a per-weight basis.
6. Aluminum Oxide (Al₂O₃, Sapphire)
- Composition: A ceramic material made of aluminum and oxygen.
- Strength: High compressive strength and hardness (~9 on the Mohs scale).
- Advantages:
- Transparent and optically clear.
- Highly resistant to heat, corrosion, and wear.
- Applications: Bulletproof glass, watch crystals, industrial cutting tools.
- Limitations: Brittle compared to metals.
7. Steel (High-Strength or Stainless Grades)
- Composition: An alloy of iron, carbon, and other elements like chromium or nickel.
- Strength: Tensile strength up to 2 GPa (in ultra-high-strength steels).
- Advantages:
- Readily available and cost-effective.
- Versatile with tunable properties (e.g., ductility, corrosion resistance).
- Applications: Construction, automotive, tools, and machinery.
- Limitations: Heavy and prone to rusting unless treated.
8. Spider Silk (Biomaterial)
- Composition: Protein-based fibers produced by spiders.
- Strength: Comparable to high-grade steel in tensile strength.
- Advantages:
- Lightweight, biocompatible, and biodegradable.
- High toughness (can absorb a lot of energy before breaking).
- Applications: Biomedicine, lightweight textiles, and bioengineering.
- Limitations: Difficult to produce in large quantities.
9. MXenes
- Composition: A class of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides.
- Strength: Comparable to graphene in mechanical properties.
- Advantages:
- High electrical conductivity and chemical stability.
- Excellent for energy storage applications (batteries, supercapacitors).
- Applications: Electronics, sensors, batteries.
- Limitations: Production is still in its infancy.
10. Basalt Fibers
- Composition: Derived from volcanic rock.
- Strength: Tensile strength between 2.8-4.8 GPa.
- Advantages:
- Corrosion-resistant and non-conductive.
- More environmentally friendly than carbon fiber.
- Applications: Construction, automotive, and marine.
- Limitations: Not as strong as carbon fiber for certain applications.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for realistic, practical alternatives to graphene, the following materials are worth considering:
- For Strength and Practical Use: Titanium Alloys, UHMWPE, or Steel.
- For Hardness and Wear Resistance: Tungsten Carbide, Aluminum Oxide.
- For Lightweight Strength: Kevlar, Spider Silk, or Basalt Fibers.
- For Versatility in Electronics: Boron Nitride or MXenes.
Each material has trade-offs, but the right choice depends on the application (e.g., lightweight composites, high-temperature environments, or corrosion resistance). Let me know if you’d like help selecting a material for a specific purpose!
Me:
aren’t there any more materials that use nuclear strength, rather than bonding based on electrons, and would be the materials of the future, with vast diversity
ChatGPT4o:
Materials that utilize nuclear strength rather than conventional electron bonding represent an area of futuristic materials science. Nuclear forces (strong and weak interactions) are much stronger than chemical bonds formed through electrons. While such materials are not currently practical, they hold immense theoretical potential as the materials of the future, offering unmatched strength, energy density, and durability.
Let’s explore the possibilities and current research directions for nuclear-force-based materials and what might drive future material diversity.
1. Nuclear-Powered Lattice Materials
- Concept: Materials stabilized by interactions of atomic nuclei (e.g., strong nuclear forces) rather than electron sharing or delocalization.
- Potential Strength: These materials could theoretically be millions of times stronger than graphene, as the strong nuclear force is 137 times stronger than electromagnetic forces.
- Challenges:
- The strong nuclear force operates at subatomic distances (around ~1 femtometer), making it difficult to engineer macroscopic structures.
- Ensuring stability is a key issue, as nuclei tend to decay or repel one another when brought too close.
2. Neutronium (Neutron Star Matter)
- What is it?: Ultra-dense material composed almost entirely of neutrons, found in the cores of neutron stars.
- Properties:
- Tensile strength and density billions of times higher than steel or graphene.
- Exceptional resistance to deformation under massive forces.
- Applications (theoretical):
- Creation of super-dense materials for space elevators, indestructible tools, or planetary engineering.
- Challenges:
- Neutronium can only exist under extreme gravitational pressure (like in neutron stars). On Earth, it would decay almost instantly due to lack of gravitational confinement.
3. Quark-Gluon Plasma and Quark Materials
- What is it?: Matter made of free quarks (building blocks of protons and neutrons) held together by gluons (particles responsible for the strong force).
- Properties:
- Theoretical quark-based materials could harness pure nuclear binding energy, resulting in unprecedented strength and energy density.
- Hypothetical “quark crystals” could be ultra-compact and resistant to all forms of physical degradation.
- Challenges:
- Quark-gluon plasma currently exists only at extremely high temperatures (trillions of degrees) in particle accelerators.
- Creating stable quark matter at room temperature is far beyond current technology.
4. Strange Matter (Strange Quarks)
- What is it?: A type of matter containing “strange quarks,” a heavier sibling of the quarks found in normal protons and neutrons.
- Properties:
- Hypothetically the strongest and most stable material in the universe.
- A small amount of strange matter could weigh as much as a mountain but remain incredibly compact.
- Extremely resistant to decay, wear, and deformation.
- Applications (theoretical):
- Used in ultra-dense space structures or as containers for storing high-energy particles.
- Challenges:
- The production and stabilization of strange matter remain speculative and require conditions not yet reproducible on Earth.
5. Materials Stabilized by Quantum Tunneling
- Concept: Structures held together not by traditional bonding but by quantum tunneling of particles through energy barriers.
- Properties:
- Could create superposition states within materials, making them impervious to conventional damage (e.g., shattering or thermal expansion).
- Unique mechanical and electromagnetic properties, such as perfect superconductivity.
- Applications:
- Could enable quantum computers, perfect mirrors, or self-repairing materials.
- Challenges:
- Quantum tunneling is difficult to harness on macroscopic scales.
6. Exotic Isotopic Materials
- What is it?: Materials made from isotopes with unusual neutron-to-proton ratios, offering unique nuclear properties.
- Examples:
- Helium-3 (³He): For ultralight, high-temperature superconductors.
- Deuterium (²H): For high-strength and energy applications.
- Potential:
- Custom isotopes could provide enhanced stability, density, and thermal properties.
- Applications:
- Nuclear reactors, fusion technologies, and space exploration.
- Challenges:
- Isotope production is energy-intensive and expensive.
7. Matter-Antimatter Composite Materials
- Concept: Materials incorporating small quantities of antimatter stabilized within normal matter.
- Potential:
- Harnessing the annihilation energy of matter and antimatter could enable energy storage materials with billions of times the capacity of chemical batteries.
- Annihilation-resistant structures could exploit the unique symmetry-breaking properties of antimatter.
- Challenges:
- Storing antimatter safely remains one of the greatest challenges in physics.
- Extremely dangerous due to the explosive annihilation of matter and antimatter.
8. Programmable Matter
- What is it?: Matter that can change its properties (strength, flexibility, transparency) based on external inputs, such as magnetic fields or electrical signals.
- Approach:
- Use nanotechnology or molecular-scale nuclear forces to control the arrangement of particles.
- Applications:
- Self-assembling buildings, shape-shifting vehicles, or adaptable armor.
- Challenges:
- Scaling down atomic or subatomic control to real-world applications.
9. Hypermaterials with Tamed Fusion Energy
- What is it?: Materials designed to trap and control fusion reactions within their structure.
- Potential:
- Could harness nuclear fusion energy for self-powered materials.
- Extreme durability and resistance to high radiation levels.
- Applications:
- Self-heating spacecraft hulls, radiation-proof reactors, and planetary-scale construction materials.
- Challenges:
- Fusion containment is still a massive hurdle in energy research.
10. Materials Utilizing Dark Matter (Speculative)
- Concept: Use of dark matter particles (if harnessed) to create ultra-dense and nearly indestructible materials.
- Potential:
- Dark matter may interact weakly with normal matter but provide massive gravitational binding forces.
- Hypothetical materials could be far denser and stronger than any conventional material.
- Challenges:
- Dark matter remains largely theoretical with no confirmed detection.
Key Challenges and Research Goals
- Stability: Nuclear materials are inherently unstable outside specific conditions (e.g., neutron stars, accelerators).
- Containment: Controlling nuclear interactions on a safe, practical scale is a fundamental limitation.
- Scalability: Even if nuclear materials are created, scaling them for industrial use is a significant challenge.
- Energy Costs: Synthesis of such materials would likely require energy far beyond current technologies.
The Future: Towards Nuclear Materials with Vast Diversity
To create materials of the future, advancements in quantum physics, nanotechnology, and nuclear engineering are necessary. By expanding our control over nuclear forces and quantum phenomena, materials with unimaginable strength, functionality, and adaptability could become a reality. These might include:
- Self-repairing buildings or vehicles.
- Ultra-dense space materials for colonizing other planets.
- Quantum-tunneling superconductors for limitless energy transmission.

Exploring materials at home seems challenging. Meanwhile there exists plethora of known commonly available materials, and plenty of unknown undiscovered materials. Its development, at personal being scale (imagine being alone on a planet, trying to build everything from scratch up, e.g. Planet Crafter) , seems challenging.
Soon, AI model will be available that harbors all kinds of materials, their preparation from raw materials, or given state, and conditioned on processes that are available, whether it will be possible to make such an material, know the performance of it macroscopically, and microscopically,and other qualities such as electrical, mechanical, … While also if possibly suggesting new materials that might be stable and possible easily. For now, its seems the entire earth has manifested carbon based structures, and they seem to be strongest practically, yet so far, in these current settings of pressure, temperature, gravity, etc.

Original: https://triton7777.wordpress.com/2025/01/04/materials-of-the-future/