Today, scientists from the University of Oxford and other institutions unveiled a new discovery that could help make superhard ceramics even stronger and tougher. The research focuses on understanding the strength-toughness dilemma in ceramics, which is the trade-off between the strength and toughness of a material. In order to make ceramics stronger, the scientists had to find a way to increase toughness without sacrificing strength. By using a combination of theoretical models and experiments, they were able to study how the chemical composition of ceramics affects their strength and toughness. The team found that by adding certain elements to the ceramic, they could increase its toughness without sacrificing its strength. This could be a breakthrough for the development of superhard ceramics with unprecedented strength and toughness.

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source: Phys.org