Strength of strong materials: graphene, spider's silk and steel (Russian)
1,364 views · Published 30 March 2016 · 1:05:46 · Indexed 30 October 2026
Channel: bhadeshia123 · 2016 · Education
A talk (with translation into Russian) given by Harry Bhadeshia at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST-MISIS) in Moscow. Videos courtesy of Professor Alyona Ponomarenko. Strength is a reflection of the ability of a material to support a load without undergoing permanent change, although ultimate strength refers to fracture. Spider's thread has a tensile strength of about 700 MPa but a density of only 1.3 grams per cubic centimetre, which apparently giving it a specific strength that is six times greater than steel of identical tensile strength. The silk is also claimed to be much tougher than steel. Graphene or carbon nanotubes with a strength of 130 GPa is said to be 100-300 times stronger than steel. When examining these and other claims in detail, it seems that the elementary science of strong materials has been forgotten. The purpose of this talk is to regurgitate the science and introduce methods of comparing materials that are justified. http://www.phase-trans.msm.cam.ac.uk
