[adamg (OP)]

I recall in my senior year of high school my physics professor mentioning a metal that is nearly indestructible.

It was discovered by accident, although the name of the inventor escapes me. The strength of the metal comes from its unique semi-liquid crystal structure.

Applying pressure to the metal causes crystals to form within its structure that reinforces the structure.

The greater the pressure the more crystals form and the more they reinforce the structure. I realize that at some point it would have to collapse as there would have to be a limit to the amount of crystals that the metal could generate. However preliminary tests were unable to come close to finding this pressure threshold.

According to my professor this metal is already being used for such things as replacement knee caps.

Can anyone tell me the name of this metal? I have tried google but only find sci-fi rubish about adamantium, impervium and unobtanium, all from films, comics or magical RPGs.

I am confident that I have not remembered the basics about this metal, so info must be available somewhere. Can anyone help with this?

All replies are greatly appreciated.

Adam Andrew Galas

[JimBob]

Adam,

Is there any possibility that your professor was talikg about carbon acting AS IF it were a metal? Carbon fiber composits have many strange properties.

Knee caps I know of are made from a teflon type plactic.


The mind is like a parachute. It works best when open.  -- A. Einstein