Laser-powered bullets reveal surprising metal hardness

Conventional thinking suggests that metals soften as they warm. But this isn't always true, as researchers have succeeded in demonstrating that under extreme conditions, metals actually get harder as they get hotter.
By shooting metal targets with tiny, laser-powered projectiles, this team was able to create incredibly high strain rates. Under these conditions a property called drag strengthening comes into play giving rise to metals that behave in counterintuitive ways, and could inform high speed manufacture or aerospace engineering.
Read the paper: www.nature.com/articles/s4158...

[@lbgstzockt8493]

"optically-driven microballistics" is my favorite term of the day.

[@vaibhavkodiyan8831]

Wow, this video blew my mind! I always thought metals just got softer with heat, but the whole idea of them getting harder under certain conditions is a game-changer. The way they used lasers to shoot tiny particles at metals and then caught it all on camera is just next-level cool. It's like a glimpse into the future of materials science. Kudos to the team behind this - super fascinating stuff!

[@kinfongyeung5400]

did not expect the heavy metal music from nature

[@mikechiu9767]

Hats off to whomever came up with the idea. It was brilliant.

[@jimk8520]

Is this why a copper jet from an rpg works so well?

[@notachair4757]

Well, the copper jet doesn't penetrate by melting though armor, it does it by sheer kinetic force. Enough that metals act like liquids regardless. Although, I wouldn't be suprised if effects like this could play a part

[@akituln]

Could it be that the higher temps increased the elastisity of the metals?

[@Natethesandman1]

“Nickel-aluminides, son”

[@jackmclane1826]

We're talking about toughness and not strength here. Metals are more brittle (less tough) under shock loads, especially when it is cold. That is WELL known for ages.

[@GrilledCheeseSandwich1]

You mentioned hypervelocity (3000m/s) but the study didn't even reach 10% of that: >The velocities targeted in this study (below 250 m s−1 for copper and titanium and below 150 m s−1 for gold) are all slightly low compared with conventional high-rate test-ing;

[@SteveWard]

Why do the crater graphs not support the claim? Looks like higher temp impact left a smaller crater. Also, someone would have noticed if copper really got stronger at higher temps.

[@Kris-fd9xs]

Running around in cherry red ar500 plates makes you invincible 💥

[@lucasmontec]

the extreme conditions were 170C?

[@sbreheny]

How does this jive with adiabatic shear? Very high shear strain rates have been shown to cause extreme local heating which in turn softens the metal locally and causes more shear strain than otherwise expected based on the bulk temperature of the metal.

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

Cool, sad I cant find more about drag strengthening online easily

[@pablovirus]

Damn 😂

[@Telephonebill51]

That's because this is a load of shit. The particles are sub-microscopic and only traveling a few feet. "Laser Bullets" is total clickbait.

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

@@Telephonebill51 That's not the part I was talking about. And I wasnt quite expecting actual bullets but maybe I can see it as misleading

[@Telephonebill51]

@@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369 Well, then, maybe you'll eventually understand technology.

[@zairac2564]

You'll find papers of you use Google Scholar and search for "dislocation drag strengthening". About the 3rd hit down is the paper this video is based on. Nevermind the troll in the comments.

[@conodigrom]

This is well known and exploited both in aerospace and military applications.

[@shaunmcglaughlin7069]

Good for us layman

[@user-um8tq1tz7m]

D3O mix with powdered hemp coated with Teflon won't stop it ever

[@ToeCutter454]

well... lets see now... the reason RPG's punch through most tank armor is because it's MOLTEN COPPER propelled at a rate of ~7 to 8 miles per second(that's AFTER it hits it's target and the shape charge detonates). it acts like an uncompressible hydraulic fluid so of course it's going to be "harder". it's like the same effect of dropping large objects in water, the higher the speed the shallower it penetrates(at least up to a certain size like a meteorite or asteroid that has sufficient enough mass to overcome the surface tension).

[@mreese8764]

Hot squash balls are also bouncier, but also softer.

[@StanleyKubick1]

too many also's for one sentence

[@mreese8764]

@@StanleyKubick1 Too many apostrophes for that sentence.

[@MyNordlys]

Maybe also this works on shaped charges with copper, increasing their penetration ability ?

[@ARVash]

This is the first time I've heard phonons be used in a practical context.

[@kevinedwards7206]

amazing..

[@ernestopreciado4895]

This is truly metal as fuck

[@Model3GenerativeANdroid]

2:55 this proves that ancient Egypt makes the pyramids with copper chisel & copper saw.

[@EyesOfByes]

Unlocked Strain Rate

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Cool thinking to add heavy metal music to a hard metal video

[@PluetoeInc.]

if only the T-rexs had covered the earth with copper/gold before the shit hit the fan

[@tomarmadiyer2698]

They had to bling with the iridium...

[@philippeturco4670]

THE NEW STOCK MEME IS 🎉🎉🎉LUCY

[@StanleyKubick1]

give me a copper turbo compresser wheel right now

[@jaypaans3471]

All I see is snow and jumping to conclusins

[@mrpicky1868]

doubtful setup. as thermal energy is kinetic actually . what they tested here is how much of thermal energy in shield transfers to the bullet. so they might have wrong conclusions

[@prodby.godswill]

Ian Dowding is the 🐐(he helped publish this and is a good friend of mine)

[@orcmanddegormak1031]

so, basically, when a metal is hot enough it acts like a non-newtonian fluid? hmm

[@katoy9976]

Türkler metal delen 9mm yapmıştı. 🙃 Hemen sergilemekte üstümüze yok.

[@Taipou]

I wonder if other people are also annoyed by the narrator's shhh in "shhhhhhtrain rate", "exhhhhtreme" and "shhhhhtrength"...

[@conradleonard]

shuper dishtracting

[@donaldasayers]

'High Speed Steel' is harder at red heat than at room temperature.

[@sbreheny]

no - it just doesn't soften as much as most types of tool steel

[@paladin0654]

Well, shtrain rates are certainly shtrange!

[@Telephonebill51]

These aren't "bullets" , they're microscopic specks of matter moving a few feet. "Laser Bullets" is total fucking clickbait.

[@Tadesan]

This sounds like junk science. Remember 'negative surface tension'?

[@lbgstzockt8493]

Did you read the paper?

[@mreese8764]

Shorry to ashk: but where's that accent from?

[@pyroMaximilian]

Shorry, but the shtupid pronunschiation makesh the schiensche hard to undershtand.

[@broslyons8045]

wow - surprising - this is why I love science -