Researchers develop ultralight carbon structures with aluminium-level efficiency

Stock image for referential purposes only

Researchers at the Seoul National University have created a carbon fibre that is low in weight with surprisingly high strength, opening new possibilities for drones, robotics and aerospace.

Instead of combining materials layer by layer, scientists have created a way to create a continuous carbon fibre piece arranged in a three dimensional lattice design. The method, called “3D node winding,” avoids many of the weak points normally found in composite structures.

Traditional carbon fibre composites are already known for being strong and lightweight, but they are usually made by stacking sheets or assembling components. That process can create internal boundaries where stress builds up or load transfer becomes less efficient. Even many 3D-printed composite systems still depend on layered construction.

Also read: Precision turning: Tornos France focuses on machinability and chip management with Eural’s lead-free aluminium

The researchers tried to bypass that entirely. Their process starts with a temporary scaffold that defines the shape of the structure. A continuous carbon fibre is then wound through the geometry before resin is added to lock the form into place.

Because the fibre remains uninterrupted throughout the structure, forces can move through the material more evenly, reducing stress concentrations that typically appear around joints or interfaces.

The resulting lattice structures showed compressive strengths in the range of roughly 10 to 30 megapascals, putting them close to some construction-grade materials in compression performance. More importantly, the strength-to-weight ratio reached levels comparable to aluminium while using only a fraction of the mass, in some cases around one-hundredth of aluminium’s weight.

Don't miss out- Buyers are looking for your products on our B2B platform

According to the researchers, the structures can also outperform more conventional lattice systems at equal weight, with strength improvements of up to ten times in certain configurations.

To test the idea beyond the lab, the team applied the design to a drone frame. That reduced the structural weight by nearly 80 per cent, which in turn increased flight time by about one-third under the same operating conditions.

The findings were published in Nature Communications.

Researchers involved in the work said advances in robotic manufacturing and AI-assisted fabrication could eventually make these kinds of structures scalable for industrial use. The concept may be useful in areas where cutting weight matters directly to performance, including mobility systems, aerospace, robotics and even construction.

Must read: Key industry individuals share their thoughts on the trending topics