Aluminum fullerenes : almost as hard as steel

Russian investigators with Siemens Corporate Technology (CT ) are using carbon nanoparticles optimize special materials. They are adding fullerenes – molecules in the form of football that comprise 60 carbon atoms – to aluminum to obtain a new material that is approximately three times harder than conventional compounds, but much less heavy.

The lightweight but sturdy aluminum could be used to improve the performance of compressors , motors and turbochargers.

The fullerenes of pure carbon have high mechanical stability with low weight. Aluminum and C60 are ground in an argon atmosphere in small grains with a diameter of only a few nanometers , or millionths of a millimeter. The two substances then are linked with each other to form the new material. special mills grind aluminum, and ultrafine powder is pressed into a new material. Approximately one percent by weight of fullerenes is sufficient to impregnate the material with sufficient hardness.

Siemens provides a variety of applications for aluminum hard. lighter turbine rotors can offer higher speeds and more efficient compressors and motors . superconducting cables can be covered with material to improve its stability. Because fullerenes only affect the electrical conductivity of aluminum, aluminum electrical wiring could be thinner to save material.