Nanostructured ceramic materials have already been shown to be stronger and stiffer than bulk ceramics, but their brittleness has remained a major problem that can lead to catastrophic failure. Now, a team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology have successfully produced a structural ceramic metamaterial offering ultralow density along with high strength and energy absorption, as well as the ability to recover its original shape after compressions in excess of 50% strain…..
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/58570