A New 'Super Ice' Is 10 Times Stronger, Bringing It Close to The Strength of Concrete (sciencealert.com)
(Tuesday October 13, 2026 @03:00AM (BeauHD)
from the future-building-materials dept.)
- Reference: 0186291364
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/10/13/0428248/a-new-super-ice-is-10-times-stronger-bringing-it-close-to-the-strength-of-concrete
- Source link: https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-super-ice-is-10-times-stronger-bringing-it-close-to-the-strength-of-concrete
Researchers have created a strengthened " [1]BioPykrete " by combining ice with cellulose nanocrystals and a custom protein that binds the plant-based crystals to the ice structure. In small-scale tests, the material was [2]about 10 times stronger than regular ice and absorbed 70 times more energy before breaking. ScienceAlert reports:
> Instead of wood pulp's larger, disordered fibers, the researchers used cellulose nanocrystals here. Cellulose is the main structural material in plants, and in nanocrystal form, it can act as a microscopic strengthening agent for other materials, including ice -- essentially stopping cracks from spreading easily. The protein used here was called CBM3a-AFPIII, a combination of an antifreeze protein (AFP) and a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). Its job was to act like glue, keeping the cellulose nanocrystals and ice bonded together.
>
> It's a clever approach, and the researchers think that by tweaking their ingredients and methods, they might be able to improve their 'super ice' even further. "Optimizing solidification kinetics and freezing protocols, alongside developing diverse AFP-CBM variants, could yield even higher-strength composites," write the researchers. Besides further tests of the durability of the material, the researchers are also keen to take a closer look at how cracks propagate through BioPykrete, to confirm that the underlying strengthening mechanisms are what they think they are.
>
> Further down the line, this approach could open up a whole new landscape for materials used in packaging, construction, and more: Using a custom protein to bring two unlikely compounds (ice and cellulose) together. "By bridging the gap between recombinant protein design and structural engineering, we have developed a high-performance material specifically engineered for the rigors of the world's most extreme environments," write the researchers.
The findings have been [3]published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces .
[1] https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22068
[2] https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-super-ice-is-10-times-stronger-bringing-it-close-to-the-strength-of-concrete
[3] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2026.116037
> Instead of wood pulp's larger, disordered fibers, the researchers used cellulose nanocrystals here. Cellulose is the main structural material in plants, and in nanocrystal form, it can act as a microscopic strengthening agent for other materials, including ice -- essentially stopping cracks from spreading easily. The protein used here was called CBM3a-AFPIII, a combination of an antifreeze protein (AFP) and a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM). Its job was to act like glue, keeping the cellulose nanocrystals and ice bonded together.
>
> It's a clever approach, and the researchers think that by tweaking their ingredients and methods, they might be able to improve their 'super ice' even further. "Optimizing solidification kinetics and freezing protocols, alongside developing diverse AFP-CBM variants, could yield even higher-strength composites," write the researchers. Besides further tests of the durability of the material, the researchers are also keen to take a closer look at how cracks propagate through BioPykrete, to confirm that the underlying strengthening mechanisms are what they think they are.
>
> Further down the line, this approach could open up a whole new landscape for materials used in packaging, construction, and more: Using a custom protein to bring two unlikely compounds (ice and cellulose) together. "By bridging the gap between recombinant protein design and structural engineering, we have developed a high-performance material specifically engineered for the rigors of the world's most extreme environments," write the researchers.
The findings have been [3]published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces .
[1] https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22068
[2] https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-super-ice-is-10-times-stronger-bringing-it-close-to-the-strength-of-concrete
[3] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2026.116037
This will revolutionize igloo construction (Score:2)
by quenda ( 644621 )
but anyone who has ever fallen on their butt on an ice rink will know that ice is hard.
Maybe this will be useful on Mars? Article is not clear why this story is significant outside of its niche. We don't normally get obscure materials science papers here.
What temp? (Score:3)
by Bodhammer ( 559311 )
At what temp is this useful and how?
The original Pykrete (Score:2)
by alanw ( 1822 )
The original [1]Pykrete [wikipedia.org] was proposed to Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt as a material for constructing aircraft carriers during WWII.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pykrete
Can I build my generation spaceship from this? (Score:2)
by butt0nm4n ( 1736412 )
It consumes the hull as fuel.
Paging Kurt Vonnegut... (Score:3)
Meet at the ice-9 kiosk.