BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a new type of lightweight, tough, and sustainable cellulose nanofiber-derived biomimetic structural materials that perform better than traditional alloy material, ceramics and engineering plastics.

Sustainable structural materials with lightweight, high thermal dimensional stability, and superb mechanical properties are vitally important for engineering application, said a recent research article published in the journal Science Advances.

The researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China reported a strategy to process cellulose nanofiber into the high-performance sustainable bulk structural material with low density, high strength and thermal dimensional stability.

During an ultra-high-speed impact test, the obtained material absorbed the impact energy and transformed it into heat. It showed high impact toughness surpassing aviation aluminium alloy, and low thermal expansion coefficient with less than five over ten thousand size change within 100 degrees Celsius range, said the article.

The new material can be used for automobiles, aircraft and aerospace applications.