So, I was looking at super-materials for spacecraft construction (Hypothetical future hard-science).
For current levels of tech I was initially thinking
Boron Carbide because its strong, lightweight & has fairly high temperature resistance (melts at 2,763 °C (5,005 °F; 3,036 K)) & good neutron absorption.
However there are actually a load of other options:
Silicon Carbide is also quite good but a bit heavier. Its also a semiconductor. Its also used in mirrors.
www.makeitfrom.com/compare/Boron-Carbide-B4C/Silicon-Carbide-SiC
Interestingly when Silicon carbide is heavily
doped in Boron it also becomes a superconductor.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1088/1468-6996/9/4/044205Silicon-infiltrated carbon-carbon composite is used for high performance "ceramic" brake discs, as it is able to withstand extreme temperatures.
The silicon reacts with the graphite in the carbon-carbon composite to become carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC)
Magnesium infused with dense silicon carbide nanoparticles is very strong and light, not sure about temperature resistance though.
(
newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-researchers-create-exceptionally-strong-and-lightweight-new-metal )
86% magnesium, 14% of silicon carbide particles, it is light like aluminum, but as strong as titanium alloys.
This material has the highest strength-to-weight ratio known to mankind.
www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-magnesium-alloy-worlds-strongest-lightest-metal-sahit-muja/ )
Boron Nitride is also quite interesting.
Graphitic Boron Nitride has a quite similar layered structure to graphite.
Pure Cubic Boron Nitride is actually transparent and has a crystal structure analogous to that of diamond.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_nitrideIt also has a higher melting point than Boron carbide - 2,973 °C (5,383 °F; 3,246 K) as well as phenomenal thermal conductivity. (740 (W/(m·K)) for Cubic boron nitride)
You can also have
Boron Nitride Nanotubes as well as BCN nanotubes which are Boron Nitrogen & Carbon
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_nitride_nanotubeen.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCN_nanotubeAlso Boron Nitride Nanotubes can actually self heal plus can be modified to have various electrical properties via doping with other materials.
Titanium Diboride & Titanium Carbide are also quite interesting, very strong & fantasticly high melting points.
3,230 °C (5,850 °F; 3,500 K) for Titanium Diboride and 3,160 °C (5,720 °F; 3,430 K) for Titanium Carbide.
only a few degrees behind Zirconium Diboride and Hafnium Diboride but with a much lower weight.
Titanium Carbide is used as a heat shield coating for atmospheric reentry of spacecraft.
It should be able to resist mach 11 speeds at 100,000 feet (30KM) and mach 6 at sea level.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_carbideTitanium Diboride is fractionally better in terms of weight & temperature plus has a High electrical conductivity (~105 S/cm) (don't know about cost though)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_diborideInterestingly a
composite of
Aluminium Magnesium Boride (BAM) and
Titanium Diboride (TiB
2) (70% of TiB
2 by volume) has a record low values of friction coefficients meaning less friction. (although it may have a lower melt temperature than regular Titanium Diboride)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_magnesium_borideThis may prove to be a fantastic coating for railgun projectiles & gun barrels.
From looking at the full range of materials I think
Boron Nitride Nanotubes would be an ideal hull material with perhaps a titanium carbide or Titanium Diboride on areas subjected to super high levels of heat.
Cubic Boron Nitride could also be used for windows while maintaining phenomenal strength.
I had a look through most of the super-materials out there and I think these are the best ones, let me know if I have missed any.
I think the ideal qualities of any super material is, strength, temperature resistance, impact resistance, ideally the ability to self heal, resistance to radiation, plus some other factors like thermal/electric/magnetic qualities could be quite good.