At the Start of a Materials Revolution

Fans of the television show, “Game of Thrones,” are familiar with a special metal that had been used to make extremely high quality swords and blades. The metal was known as Valyrian and the process used to fabricate the metal had been lost with the fall of the civilization of the same name. The few who still had weapons made of Valyrian prized them.

What’s less known is that the inspiration for this almost mystical metal may have been based in our own history. In the Middle East region from approximately the 3rd century through to the 17th century, weapons were forged of Damascus steel, a metal that resulted in an extremely strong and sharp blade that was resistant to shattering. While the metal was created from wootz steel from India, the actual fabrication process for Damascus steel, much like its fictional counterpart, has been lost over time. Currently, we have no idea how to recreate the metal, which may have found many modern day applications beyond weapons and swords.

Fortunately, I believe we’re at the start of a materials revolution that could lead to new discoveries that ultimately are better options than Damascus steel or even the imagined Valyrian.

Since its introduction last century, plastics continue to evolve and new options emerge on a fairly consistent basis. While the versatility of plastics make them suitable for an seemingly unending array of applications, they have become critical to healthcare, replacing metal counterparts for a variety of products. On the other hand, in the orthopedic sector, metal still remains the dominant material of choice. As the evolution of plastics continues, the needle may someday swing more toward the direction of plastics for this sector, too.

In the meantime, material innovations for the orthopedic sector need to be sought from other sources. One material that’s gaining a huge amount of attention from a great number of industries is graphene. Stronger than steel, a conductor of heat and electricity, and offering near transparency, graphene’s properties prove useful for a wide number of applications and new functions are being discovered at a rapid rate.

In the In Development section, in fact, you can find information about how graphene flakes are being welded together to create bone implants. Researchers are finding that the graphene alternative compares quite favorably to the mechanical and biocompatibility properties of titanium. Through this fabrication process, however, the graphene flakes could allow for complex shapes to be easily created compared to the processing of specialty metals.

Meanwhile, in this issue’s The Last Word, from managing editor Michael Barbella, more unusual research is being conducted on a material option that’s getting much less attention. Spider silk is being experimented with for use with vascular graphs, as well as nerve and cartilage repair. Best to read the piece yourself to get all the details, but the research seems to be quite interesting and, if successful, could even go so far as providing hope for those with damaged spinal cords.

While research on material innovations will certainly continue, whether leveraging applications for a newly discovered option with graphene or exploring nature’s own offerings, there are other forces at work that are driving advancements. Perhaps one of the most significant is the demands of additive manufacturing. This fabrication process has offered incredible, new capabilities for all industries, but when it comes to healthcare, the advancements are literally life-changing. The problem, however, remains in the material offerings for healthcare and orthopedic applications.

Personalized healthcare is coming and there’s nothing that’s going to stop that. As such, we need materials that will facilitate the creation of custom solutions such as orthopedic implants. While there are current material options that enable unique implants, the price point for them is still prohibitive for widespread adoption. We need to either find less expensive options that do not sacrifice on the necessary properties to make implants through additive manufacturing, or find new methods of processing current materials in such a way that they can be used for additive manufacturing. Again, this demand will ultimately result in new options for the orthopedic industry.

On the flip side, one challenge in dealing with these new materials will be in identifying appropriate testing methods for them. While I could speculate on the solutions for this, I’ll instead point you in the direction of the feature in this issue that, in part, addresses this exact problem. Associate editor Sam Brusco offers insights on the difficulty testing firms have in staying ahead of new technologies, including materials. It’s a challenge that they’ll need to face sooner rather than later as the materials revolution arrives. 

Sean Fenske
Editor
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