A unique superdense aluminum material has been unearthed by global researchers. Japan, Australian and the US scientists have explained that the new material exists only under extreme pressure. The aluminum is approximately 40% denser and stronger than the traditional material.
Professor Saulius Juodkazis from the Swinburne University of Technology is a member of the research team. He described that the team was able to produce the superdense material by replicating the surroundings found at the Earth’s center.
Extreme temperatures and pressures are normally found in the Earth’s core region and only at these conditions common materials create new dense phases with atypical physical properties and compressed atomic arrangements. However, researchers cannot view or test materials at the great depths. Hence, the team had to find other methods to confirm the existence of highly dense materials. To achieve this, scientists simulated the intense pressure situations at the nano-scale level.
The international team used the focused laser technique to create the superdense aluminum under extreme pressure. Thus, the technique enabled researchers to synthesize a wide range of superdense metals with exceptional properties. The formation of superdense gold or silver creates new possibilities for plasmonics and bio-sensing. The experiment has been carried out using a standard bench-top laser that is commonly employed in several manufacturing operations and research laboratories.