Chinese scientists have invented a unique method of strengthening gold.

Chinese materials scientists have developed a new method of strengthening gold by creating nanometer-sized pores in it. They have found that this process makes the material lighter and stronger and more ductile, opening up new possibilities for its application. To produce the alloy, the scientists used pure gold with evenly distributed nanopores that formed after the removal of silver inclusions.

Samples with different pore sizes were stretched to test their mechanical properties. It turned out that the strength of the gold increased with a decrease in pore size, but even the samples with the largest pores showed improved strength and ductility. The feature of the new technology is the uniform distribution of pores, which reduces the concentration of stress in the material and allows the pore size to be changed while maintaining its strength and ductility.

This new approach can be used to lighten various metal alloys by 10% and improve their physical properties. The application of strengthened gold can be found in electronics for contact processing. Researchers also plan to conduct similar experiments with copper, as it is widely used in electronic devices.