That's true, but it's still factor and if price comes down having that much compressive strength at your disposal could be an interesting choice for supertall skyscrapers.
2GPa isn't a super-high value for compressive strength. Regular tool steels can exceed it. Technical ceramics routinely exceed it. If you normalize to weight, various cement/concrete formulations can also surpass it.
Also, the price of a Ta-Hf-Zr-Nb-Ti alloy isn't especially elastic. Tantalum in particular is an unavoidably expensive element.
I'll grant that what would be exceptional is a metal with a >2GPa compressive strength, a >2GPa tensile strength, and decent damage tolerance and ductility. I don't think that this paper describes a material with that outstanding combination of properties, though -- it's much more likely to describe a simple brittle material.
Comments
That's true, but it's still factor and if price comes down having that much compressive strength at your disposal could be an interesting choice for supertall skyscrapers.
2GPa isn't a super-high value for compressive strength. Regular tool steels can exceed it. Technical ceramics routinely exceed it. If you normalize to weight, various cement/concrete formulations can also surpass it.
Also, the price of a Ta-Hf-Zr-Nb-Ti alloy isn't especially elastic. Tantalum in particular is an unavoidably expensive element.
I'll grant that what would be exceptional is a metal with a >2GPa compressive strength, a >2GPa tensile strength, and decent damage tolerance and ductility. I don't think that this paper describes a material with that outstanding combination of properties, though -- it's much more likely to describe a simple brittle material.