Israel creates ice 10 times stronger than ordinary ice - ScienceAlert
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed BioPykrete, a composite material made of ice, plant cellulose, and antifreeze proteins. This material is significantly stronger than standard ice and is being explored for construction in extreme cold environments.
Why it matters
This innovation could provide a sustainable, low-carbon construction alternative for research stations and infrastructure in the Arctic and Antarctica.
--> Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created BioPykrete, an ice-based composite material that is 10 times stronger than ordinary ice and can absorb 70 times more energy before failure. ScienceAlert reports .
The new material develops the idea of Pykrete, a composite of ice and wood pulp that the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy tested during World War II for the potential construction of an aircraft carrier. The project was ultimately abandoned due to rising costs and the emergence of other options.
For BioPykrete, scientists added plant-derived cellulose nanocrystals and the CBM3a-AFPIII protein to ice. Cellulose is the main structural component of plants, and its nanocrystals can strengthen ice, including by making crack propagation more difficult.
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