Future Materials

A quick primer to common futuristic materials:

Aerogel: “Frozen smoke” is made by replacing the liquid in a gel or foam with a gas. The result is a low-density, lightweight, semi-transparent solid with a styrofoam feel, made from a number of chemical compounds. It is used for windows and as an insulator in habitats, particularly aerostats, and to capture space dust on spacecraft hulls. Can be combined with reinforcing fibers to make light, flexible blankets.

Amorphous Metals: Also known as metallic glass, amorphous metals are metal alloys with a disordered (rather than crystalline) atomic structure, making it tougher, less brittle, and more resistant to wear and corrosion. They soften and flow when heated, and so can be injection-molded. They are used for armor, implants, robotic frames, and harsh environments.

Artificial Spider Silk: Created by bioengineered bacteria, these fibers have fantastic tensile strength and extensibility. They are used for armor clothing, bandages, biodegradable goods, and other wear-resistant weaves.

Diamond: Lightweight and super-strong, artificial diamond has an extremely high melting point and near-perfect thermal conductivity. This makes it an ideal substance for hardening coated surfaces (armor) and creating super-tough diamond machinery. It is also used in optics and as a superconductor in electronics.

Fullerenes: Fullerenes are molecular carbon structures (tubes, spheres, and other shapes) that are extremely strong (vastly stronger by weight than steel), heat-resistant, and either insulative or superconductive. They are used for armor, electronics, sensor systems, medical systems, and the cables of space elevators.

Metallic Foam: Metal foam is created by adding foaming agents to liquid metals, resulting in extremely lightweight metallic structures — light enough to float on water. They are ideal prosthetics, habitat construction, floating cities, and stiffening or reinforcing structures without adding mass.

Metamaterials: Due to their structure, metamaterials interact with electromagnetic waves or sound in unusual ways, such as having a negative refractive index. Metamaterials are used for antennas, sensors and optics, radar- or sound-absorbent designs, invisibility cloaks, superlenses, and ultra-realistic holographic projectors.

Refractory Metals: These metallic alloys have extremely high melting points, making them ideal for high-temperature engine systems, atmospheric entry vehicles, Venusian habitats and bots, and hypersonic craft.

Smart Materials: Gear made from smart materials incorporates nanomachines that can alter the object’s shape, color, and texture. For example, smart clothing can transform from specialized cold weather clothing suitable for the Martian poles in winter to a fashionable suit in the latest style. Similarly, a smart material tool can switch from a powered screwdriver to a wrench or a hammer, as the nanomachines reshape the tool. Reshaping takes 1d6 minutes.

Transparent Alumina: This harder-than-steel ceramic, also known as sapphire, is used for scratch-resistant surfacing and transparent armor needs. Zero-g casting techniques enable intriguing transparent construction designs, so long as its poor tensile strength is respected.