MITSUBISHI MATERIALS DEVELOPS "ELASTIC METAL", AN INNOVATIVE NEW MATERIAL WITH THE FLEXIBILITY OF RUBBER

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation has developed an innovative new material called "Elastic Metal," which can be used in the same high-temperature environments as metal but has the flexibility of an organic material.

Industrial materials are typically selected based on usage. For example, organic materials such as rubber are used for situations requiring flexibility, while metal materials are used when heat resistance is required. Therefore, there often arises an issue of a trade-off between the characteristics of the materials selected.

Elastic Metal can address this trade-off, achieving both the heat resistance and contamination resistance that organic materials lack and the flexibility and adhesiveness that metallic materials lack.




Inspired by the adhesion mechanism of the setae on the soles of a gecko's feet, our Central Research Institute applied the bio-mimicry-based surface functionalization technologies it had been developing to provide the surface of a metal material with a special microstructure. This resulted in the development of Elastic Metal, which can be used in the same high-temperature environments as metal but has the flexibility of organic material.

Elastic Metal is expected to be widely used in attaching parts and materials both permanently and temporarily in situations where both high heat resistance and flexibility are required, and continues to be developed for use especially in fields such as aerospace, semiconductors, and healthcare.