Azerbaijan National Academy of Science

By superheating and pressurizing an existing form of carbon, researchers have developed an incredible new form that is light, ultra-strong, elastic, and electrically conductive. In addition to having many potential applications, the carbon could lead to even more unique forms that have yet to be discovered.

An international team comprising scientists from the Carnegie Institution for Science and Yanshan University has developed an incredible new form of carbon. It is extremely light, ultra-strong, elastic, and even electrically conductive. This unusual combination of qualities makes this material versatile for a number of applications.

Carbon is unique in the sense that its electron configuration allows it to self-bond in a number of different ways, which means it is capable of taking many different forms.

The scientists created this interesting type of carbon through an equally interesting method, placing glassy carbon — a non-graphitizing and structurally disordered form of carbon — under about 250,000 times the normal atmospheric pressure. After then heating it to 982.2 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit), the researchers found the new form.

Before they finally developed the carbon mentioned here, the researchers did play with different temperatures and pressures. However, only under these specific conditions did the carbon take this form, retain its structure, and not crystallize.

futurism.com