Boeing and General Motors’ jointly owned HRL Laboratories has developed what it calls “the world's lightest material." The micro-lattice structure the material forms is composed of hollow tubes, one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair.

The HRL micro-lattice structure is light enough to balance on a dandelion. Photo : Dan Little | HRL Laboratories LLCResearchers claim that the material is similar to the inside structure of bones, which are light, durable and mostly hollow. In both cases, the internal structure enables heavy loads to be supported through a network of supportive tissue.

HRL’s Dr. Bill Carter says that modern buildings and bridges are light and weight-efficient based on architecture—the beams and arches that hold up heavy structures by maximizing tensile strength. Similarly, the micro-lattice is thin and open-weave (it is 99.99% air), yet the interwoven tubes create the strength needed to support heavy metals and plastics inside an airplane.

The tube-based material is impact-resistant, absorbing energy and shock and bouncing back into shape when compressed. Research scientists at HRL claim that the material could be used to make airplanes lighter and more fuel efficient by replacing the denser materials that currently make up interior walls, floor or overhead bins in a typical aircraft.

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