World’s toughest materials uncovered

A team of Scientists from NTU, Singapore and Rice University, US, have uncovered the secret behind one the world’s toughest materials. 

Prof Gao Huajian, from MAE, who also led the study, elaborates and states that their experiments have shown that h-BN is the toughest nonmaterial measured till date. The study also unveils an intrinsic toughening mechanism in this material - which should be brittle as it is only one atom thick. 

A 2D material with a thickness of just one atom, h-BN is used as a protective layer in (2D) electronics, as it insulates against electricity and withstands temperatures of up to 1000 °C. It is also included by nearly all leading producers of cosmetics in their products, due to its ability to absorb excess facial sebum and disperse pigment evenly.