Auxetics defy common sense, widening when stretched and narrowing when compressed. NIST researchers have now made the process of using them much easier. Such common-sense-defying materials do exist.

The study of auxetic materials and mechanical metamaterials has ushered in a new era in materials science, where structural design and geometry enable properties beyond those of conventional materials ...

Regardless of whether it is strained or compressed, the new material always expands. Copyright: Thomas Heine et al. Researchers have discovered a two-dimensional ...

Most materials bulge out when you squeeze them, pushing the energy outside. But that's not always what you want -- wouldn't it sometimes be better for them to collapse and hold the energy inside?

The Atlantic wolffish is known for its powerful bite, capable of crushing hard-shelled prey with ease. Now, researchers have discovered that the fish's teeth don't just withstand these extreme forces, ...

Why auxetic materials offer some unique advantages in sensor fabrication. How additive manufacturing was used with autextic materials to create unique pressure and force sensors. The structure and ...

While examining the capabilities of Liquid Crystal Elastomers, scientists have discovered the first synthetic material that becomes thicker -- at the molecular level -- as it is stretched. Scientists ...

Such common-sense-defying materials do exist. They’re called auxetics, and they have a raft of unique properties that make them well-suited for sneaker insoles, bomb-resilient buildings, car bumpers ...

Auxetics defy common sense, widening when stretched and narrowing when compressed. Researchers have now made the process of using them much easier, paving the way for new types of auxetic products -- ...