Researchers create ‘first manufactured non-cuttable material’ inspired by grapefruit

Team Udayavani, Jul 21, 2020, 2:24 PM IST

Researchers have created the “first manufactured non-cuttable material” inspired by grapefruits’s rough cellular skin.

A  team led by Durham University has created the new lightweight material made of ceramic spheres. The material encased in a cellular aluminium structure that in tests couldn’t be cut by angle grinders, drills or high-pressure water jets.

The material is named “Proteus” after the shape-changing god in Greek mythology. The lightweight material was able to indefinitely resist any cutting or drilling tools used in tests

Researchers claim that it could be used to make bike locks, lightweight armor and in protective equipment for people who work with cutting tools.