UK and German Researchers Create Aluminum-ceramic Material That Can’t Be Cut

A team of engineers from the U.K. and Germany says a newly developed material could be a breakthrough for a wide range of industries requiring safety or protective equipment.

Proteus — named for the shape-shifting aquatic deity of Greek mythology — is the first manufactured material that cannot be cut, researchers from Durham University and the Fraunhofer Institutewrite in the journal Scientific Reports.

The lightweight substance consists of ceramic spheres surrounded by a cellular aluminum structure, which combine to render cutting tools — including angle grinders, drills, and high-pressure water jets — ineffective. Although video footage released by the team shows a blade narrowly penetrating the material, researchers say the ceramic components resist it indefinitely, gradually wear down the edge, and fill in the material as its particles fragment.

Engineers say they attempted to mimic dynamic materials in nature that resist attacks despite being made of relatively weak components — particularly mollusk shells and grapefruit peels.

The team has a patent pending on the material and hopes to work with industry partners on a wide variety of potential applications, including everything from bicycle locks and lightweight body armor to protective gear for those operating cutting tools.