Carbyne Could Be the Strongest Element Known to Man

Diamonds have another challenger for the hardest element title

A team of scientists at Rice University in Houston worked out the mathematical formula behind carbyne, a specific arrangement of lowly carbon atoms.

Carbyne is created when carbon atoms are linked together as a chain of sequential double bonds or alternating single and triple bonds. Carbyne is believed to be twice as hard as a carbon sheet and will need more energy to break than a diamond

Its other distinguishing property is its behavior, which changes according to materials it connects with. For instance, if you add a methylene molecule to the otherwise hard substance, it will become malleable Read more...