First You Print It, Then You Shoot It

Tubulanes are theoretical structures that exhibit extraordinary strength because they are made of crosslinked carbon nanotubes. Researchers at Rice University's Brown School of Engineering recently 3D printed structures based on tubulanes, and they tested their strength the only way a red-blooded American institution knows how: they shot them. Tubulanes were first theorized in 1993. While this isn't the exact design, the structures are like really close cousins. The lightweight design is porous but almost as hard as a diamond.In tests, the structures performed up to 10 times better than a solid block of the same material. When the researchers shot a projectile at the blocks at 12,974.2 mph, the tubulane-like polymer structures stopped the bullet by the second layer with no significant damage to the structure. Bullets fired at the same speed cracked the entire reference cube.Tests in a press also showed how the tubulane-like blocks collapse into themselves without cracking.According to the researchers, the only thing holding back these structures printed in metal, ceramic, or polymer is the size of the 3D printer. The designs could soon lead to better materials for a host of applications, most notably in oil and gas, as well as the aerospace and automotive industries.