Ever since humans placed the first wooden planks on water, floating meant travel, trade, and by extension, power. Over time, we got better at it; wood became steel, and instead of chasing a shape, we started calculating optimal water displacement. However, we have yet to create a vessel that is “unsinkable”. The Titanic was marketed as such, but its legacy has told us otherwise. Today, researchers at the University of Rochester are trying to revisit this concept by redesigning metal to float regardless of damage or duration, and that could be used to construct large vessels.
Floating on water
The process for creating “unsinkable” metals starts with etching intricate patterns on a minuscule scale using femtosecond bursts of lasers for researchers to trap air at the edges. This is similar to how diving bell spiders and fire ants manage to use air to their advantage. A divider in the middle of the tube allows for vertical submersion without bursting the bubble of air. This effectively makes the material superhydrophobic, meaning that the material will repel water to the point of not sinking regardless of how much it gets damaged or punctured.
Superhydrophobic materials are unlike any normal vessel, wherein, despite the durability, has a limit and will sink if the damage is too much. Researchers tested the material over weeks of floating in rough environments and being damaged over time. The previous design for the unsinkable metal from 2019 demonstrated superhydrophobic materials in two disks, but the floating stopped at extreme angles. With the current tubes, it removes this limitation. It also offers an option for future mass construction since tubes can be linked together to make rafts. Tests were done on multiple sizes up to almost half a meter, demonstrating scalability.
Ferrying across the future
A future where no matter the wave or leak — a world where no ship can sink — does sound still far. For the first time, the term “unsinkable” is neither a dream nor a marketing stunt, but actual science. One of the proposed uses of this innovation is renewable energy from the repelling of water waves. Others include ships and floating platforms. No matter which path is taken, this sure is promising a new way of traversing waters, and a solution to a problem as ancient as us.
YouTube: Creating Unsinkable Metal
Photo credit: The feature image is symbolic and has been taken by Mike Nahlii.
Sources: Luke Auburn (University of Rochester) / Leonor Sierra (University of Rochester Newsroom)
