MATERIALS™ EXPLORERS

MATERIALS SCIENCE OF SUPERHEROES

Original artwork by David Rasel, TMS Media Manager

Scaling walls, super strength, and X-ray vision aren’t just the stuff of comic books. In this chapter, you’ll explore the importance of materials to the superhero world and learn about researchers who are accomplishing superhuman feats using science.

In this module students will be able to:

• Compare theoretical superpowers to real-world scientific applications that make them possible • Use their knowledge of an element to synthesize their own superhero • Explain the arrangement of elements on the periodic table • Research the role of materials science and engineering in simplifying modern life • Discuss the relationship between valence electrons and reactivity, and the importance of reactivity in materials science MATERIALS™ EXPLORERS

Class Activity POWERS OF THE PERIODIC TABLE

Background: Often, when superheroes face seemingly insurmountable odds and unbeatable villains, they gain an advantage by teaming up with other superheroes and combining their unique superpowers. A similar approach can be applied to science and engineering problems. In fact, the minerals, metals, and materials workforce needs professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds to contribute their unique viewpoints and approaches to solve complex problems. See how a few of these individuals are contributing to making our world a better place as members of their own version of a superhero league, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. Then, create a superhero of your own inspired by the elements of the periodic table.

NAME: Akane Suzuki NAME: Amy Clarke

Base of Operations: Base of Operations: > Principal Engineer > Associate Professor > GE Global Research, New York > Colorado School of Mines

Last Seen: Developing new alloys that can withstand Last Seen: Filming the formation of metal structures to very high temperatures and harsh environments. understand and control how they develop.

Mission: Make aircraft engines and electricity power Mission: Create everyday materials that perform better, plants work more e ciently and safely for longer hours. last longer, and use less energy to make.

Powers: Grants “superpowers” to alloys by designing Powers: Can see through metals, using x-ray and proton and optimizing the chemical formula and processes. vision.

NAME: Dele Ogunseitan NAME: Joy Hines Forsmark

Base of Operations: Base of Operations: > Professor of Public Health > Technical Expert > Chair, Department of Population Health and Disease > Research and Innovation Center Prevention > Ford Motor Company, Michigan > University of California, Irvine Last Seen: Studying lightweight metals, such as Identifying the risks of toxicity that can Last Seen: aluminum and magnesium alloys, for use in cause disease in humans or damage to the ecosystem automobiles. due to materials used in every day products.

Mission: Help manufacturers use safer, less toxic Mission: Make lighter cars that use less gas and create materials in products such as cellphones, computers, less air pollution. batteries, and light bulbs. Powers: Starts with atoms to build the lightest and best BACKGROUND PHOTO: MAGNESIUM ENGINE PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE S. KIM, Powers: Research that permits “time travel” to the past, parts for a car. BLOCK, US AUTOMOTIVE MATERIALS UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS present, and future of a material to know where the PARTNERSHIP (USAMP) dangers are for people and for the environment.

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Class Activity

NAME: Markus J. Buehler NAME: Paul R. Ohodnicki, Jr. Base of Operations: > Professor and Head Base of Operations: > Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering > Materials Scientist > Massachusetts Institute of Technology > U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory

Last Seen: Discovering how the toughest materials Last Seen: Researching and developing materials that found in nature are constructed at the molecular level, could lead to new types of sensors and devices for and then using that knowledge to develop new, power generation and electrical energy conversion. synthetic materials. Mission: Improve energy e ciency of power plants and Mission: Taking simple, natural ingredients, such as their transmission and distribution systems. wood or protein, to make sustainable, durable materials. Powers: Designs unique materials in a way that makes Powers: Amazing insights into why spider silk is one of them useful for application in devices. the Earth’s strongest materials. Ability to work with BACKGROUND PHOTO: FRANCESCO many other scienti c elds to someday create a “super TOMASINELLI AND EMANUELE BIGGI ber” that mimics what spiders naturally produce.

NAME: Michele V. Manuel NAME: Ricardo J. Zednik

Base of Operations: Base of Operations: > Professor and Department Chair > Vice President / CTO / Principal Engineer, > University of Florida Arrhenius Failure Analysis International (Arrhenius, Inc.) > Professor, University of Quebec Last Seen: Designing materials to make machines smarter. Last Seen: Collecting evidence and following clues hidden in materials to solve how engineering designs Mission: Help create machines with unprecedented fail—often catastrophically—in applications like medical power and behavior through the use of designer implants, natural gas pipelines, digital cameras, and materials. satellite solar arrays.

Powers: Molecular Transmutation—the ability to Mission: Protect society by understanding what causes manipulate matter on a molecular level for the accidents, fractures, and explosions. betterment of human kind. Powers: Brings smashed objects “back to life” so they can tell us what happened.

Now that you’ve learned about some of the materials science and engineering superheroes out there, it’s time to create your own character inspired by the periodic table of elements.

As you review the Periodic Table, you may notice that elements are grouped by a certain logic. When Dmitri Mendeleev originally arranged the periodic table in 1869 he did so by atomic mass, but today’s periodic table looks a little bit different. That is because Henry Mosely rearranged the table according to increasing atomic number. This arrangement means that elements in the same group have the same number of valence electrons and exhibit periodicity, meaning they have similar physical and chemical properties. Perhaps some of these properties will inspire your superhero. Problem

The Ensemble of Elements, a group of sophisticated superheroes, needs your help. Their membership is dwindling after surviving a surprise attack by trans-dimensional aliens. The Ensemble believes that anyone who understands the materials around them and how they function can become a superhero. They have reached out to you, urging you to develop your sophisticated superhero persona so that you can join them in defeating the alien invaders.

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Class Activity

Task: Your task is to create a superhero persona inspired by one element on the periodic table.

Requirements: You must create a digital presentation, poster, or mobile displaying the following information: 1. Name of superhero 2. Element symbol 3. Element atomic number 4. Element atomic mass 5. Element’s location on the periodic table (i.e. group name) 6. Element’s electron configuration 7. Physical and chemical properties of element 8. Strengths of the superhero (based on the element’s properties) 9. Weaknesses of the superhero (based on the element’s properties) 10. Superhero’s powers (based on the element’s properties) 11. Pictorial representation of the superhero

Questions

1. How are the elements arranged on the periodic table?

2. How do valence electrons relate to reactivity?

3. Why is the reactivity of materials particularly important in materials science?

4. Research a material or technology that has made your life better. Who invented it? How long has it been around? How does it improve your quality of life?

5. While scientists and engineers have their sights set on the future, discoveries are made each day that can simplify our lives now. List one material and one technology that you wish currently existed.

Definitions

Valence electrons electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom that are responsible for the chemical properties of the atom

Periodicity When elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number they exhibit similar physical and chemical properties

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Extension Activity

THE SUPER MATERIALS OF THE SUPERHEROES

Peter Parker may have gained superheroes” who change—and Man 2, he even synthesized a new physical superpowers from the save—the world every day. element to replace the poisonous bite of a genetically altered spider. palladium core in his Arc Reactor. But, in Spider-Man: Homecoming, The real source of Iron Man’s it’s Peter’s own scientific and power, for instance, is the mind Suveen Mathaudhu, a materials engineering talents that create of Tony Stark, a brilliant engineer scientist at Pacific Northwest Spider-Man’s main weapon— and wealthy industrialist. In the Laboratory, professor at the synthetic spider webbing that he Iron Man and Avengers movies, University of California, Riverside, can trigger from “web shooters” Tony uses computational tools, and an avid comic fan, believes mounted on his wrists. In fact, it’s 3D-visualization, and advanced that modern processing the only part of Peter’s original manufacturing techniques to tailor approaches, advanced Spider-Man costume that Tony his collection of Iron Man suits to microscopy, and computational Stark doesn’t openly ridicule specific needs. This also means material design tools have closed when he meets him. (“This that Iron Man’s suits contain very the gap between comic fiction webbing! Tensile strength is off little actual iron. Heavy, dense and and science reality. “There really the charts.”) Stark goes on to prone to rust, it was not a suitable is very little reason that we should include his own web shooter material for his superhero exploits. not be able to microstructurally technology in the super suit that Instead, Stark has dabbled with engineer whatever materials we he designs and gives to Peter various titanium alloys, carbon want for the future,” he said. (and later confiscates) in the film. fiber, and nanotechnology. In Iron Presumably, Stark’s web formula is made from ingredients other than what Peter could find in his high school chemistry lab or Aunt May’s household supplies.

This is just one of many, many examples of how the heroes and villains in the comic realm rely on materials to boost their powers, provide protection, and even define who they are.

A materials scientist and avid comic fan, Suveen Mathaudhu has the “super power” The stories of how these materials of being able to modify the microstructure of metals by using advanced scientific are created and used do tend to tools and techniques. In this photo, he is shown erforming a compression test on a push and exceed the boundaries Dake 70-ton uniaxial load press, pushing a metal sample until it fails and recording of what may be possible. But, they the load and displacement along the way. This helps him determine how a material are also rooted in the fact that will perform in a real-world application. scientists and engineers are “living

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Extension Activity

To illustrate his point, Suveen molecular rearrangement. goes back to the origin story of Captain America’s shield, as it To Suveen, the real hero of this was told in the comics (Captain part of the Captain America America VI V303 March 1985). As legend is Dr. Myron MacLain, also seen in the Captain America an American metallurgist. At the and Avengers movies, the shield urging of President Roosevelt, is capable of absorbing, storing, Dr. MacLain was attempting to and redirecting all the kinetic develop an indestructible tank energy and vibrations hurled at armor that would give the Allied it. The more energy it absorbs forces an edge on the battlefield. Replica of Captain America’s shield, within the bonds between its While experimenting with from the collection of The Minerals, molecules, the more powerful the vibranium, he nodded off and the Metals & Materials Society material becomes. The fictional alloy mysteriously formed while he element making these unique slept. are actually a more recent concept properties possible is vibranium, explored in the comic world. The obtained from a meteorite that Dr. McLain was never able to earliest superheroes tended to fell to Earth and gave rise to recreate the material in his lab draw their superpowers from the technologically advanced again, although Suveen believes myth and magic—if they had any African kingdom of Wakanda— he would have a fighting chance powers at all. This was particularly where Black Panther calls home. with technologies from the “real the case for Wonder Woman, The shield was born when the world” that have eclipsed what who was introduced to the world vibranium bonded with steel and was being imagined at the time in 1942, and as explained in the an unknown catalyst, forming that comic was written. “We have Wonder Woman movie 75 years a disc of indestructible alloy control over the atomic world later, “My mother sculpted me that could only be reshaped by that we didn’t have 20 years from clay and Zeus breathed ago,” he said. “Through high- life into me.” A demi-god among end microscopy tools, we can the mythical race of Amazonian visualize and manipulate the very women, Wonder Woman’s metal microstructure of a material to bracelets were her main defensive achieve ultrahigh strength and weapon, since they could repel other truly amazing characteristics. nearly every projectile hurled at The next frontier is the ability to her. (And, as seen in the Wonder accurately predict how we can Woman movie, she uses the metal create materials with specific bracelets to channel her powers properties. An indestructible into seismic shockwaves. Take material like vibranium does not that, Ares.) exist, but we might be able to The nature of superheroes Replica of Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, come close.” changed during the Cold War signed by Chris Hemsworth, from the when the world was seized collection of The Minerals, Metals & Shields, weapons, and with anxiety by the prospect of Materials Society superpowers enabled by science nuclear war.

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Extension Activity

Americans embraced technology military operation that forcible According to Rick Loverd of the as a way to make life better, but also implanted adamantium, yet another National Academy of Science’s realized it could be the means of super-strong fictional alloy, into his (NAS) Science & Entertainment wiping us out. The superheroes and skeleton. Exchange, many creators of their villains that came up through fictional universes are very serious this time were metaphors for that “A common theme about this time about accurately portraying conflict. New comic characters were was the consequences of military science in their work. The developed as flawed individuals research—both good and bad,” Exchange was established by wrestling with a multitude of demons, said Suveen.“Materials science NAS in 2008 to provide a resource many of them brought on by technologies were particularly for accurate scientific information scientific recklessness. dominant in these stories because to the entertainment industry, and they underpin nearly everything and has provide technical consulting Marvel Comics is credited with were immediately recognizable to the to such projects as Thor and the introducing this contemporary breed public.” Avengers. of superhero when Reed Richards, the brilliant and arrogant leader of the Many of the stories told through “What we have found is that the Fantastic Four, launched his stolen the comic pages of the past are rocket into space in 1961. He and now finding new life (and fans) science is much further ahead of his crew were accidently bombarded with a seemingly endless stream what entertainers usually envision. with “cosmic rays,” giving them all of superhero movies and television The creative people who attend superpowers, and horribly disfiguring shows. Characters have been our sessions come away inspired the pilot, Ben Grimm. updated, but many of them are still and excited to use these cutting carrying—and even expanding edge ideas in their work, said Most of the Marvel characters in this upon—the scientific themes first Rick. “Many in the entertainment new era of comics, in fact, started out explored in comic books. But, industry feel it’s very important to as scientists—and they weren’t the as dazzling as it is, can this new ‘get the science right.’ They know stereotypical “mad geniuses.” Reed generation of comic science be that everyone in the audience Richards was the smartest man in believed? now has a supercomputer in their the world and used his science for pockets. Audiences are more good. But, there was also a dark side savvy to science than they were in to his story. He and characters like the past, and more questioning of him symbolized the overall mood of some of the ideas. If what they see the country toward science. on the screen doesn’t mesh with information that they have access Science in service of national to online, it takes them out of the defense also became a target of story.” suspicion—while the Steve Rogers character introduced during World “That’s not to say that everything War II willingly subjected himself in a movie needs to be deadly to the experiments that ultimately accurate,” Rick continued. “The transformed him into Captain Replica of Iron Man suit from the story will always overshadow the America, the Wolverine character in collection of The Minerals, Metals & science, but plausible science X-men was kidnapped by a shadowy Materials Society makes the story line stronger and

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Extension Activity more engaging. It creates the inspiring the next generation of “And, doesn’t everyone want to rules in which those imaginary engineers—to get them to think be a superhero, when you come worlds can logically operate.” differently about what could be down to it?” possible and then push to that Suveen agrees, both from his next level.” *Parts of this article are excerpted personal experience as a comic from “The Super Materials of the fan and in his attempts to inspire “Even the superheroes born Superheroes” by Lynne Robinson, new thinking through comic with powers have the technical published in JOM, January 2012, mythology. “The superhero comic, acumen to augment them,” Volume 64, Issue 1, pp 13-19, like any science fiction, is the Suveenn continued. “The focus in and Comic-taniumTM: The Super pulse of scientific possibilities,” most superhero comic stories is Materials of the Superheroes he said. “People relate to these a problem or puzzle that requires educational exhibit, presented by stories and can tie them uniquely science to resolve. The hero is TMS, the TMS Foundation, and the to their own ideas. I often use always the person who can figure Toonseum of Pittsburgh in 2014 examples from comics in my it out and create the technology and 2015. presentations as a means of that saves the day.”

Questions

1. Choose a superhero not already explained in this article who owes his or her powers to science. Research the science behind their powers. Which aspects of their powers are scientifically plausible and which are entirely fictional?

2. Choose a superhero whose powers are not created by science. How would you propose recreating some of those powers in the real world?

3. Vibranium, a fictitious element used in Captain America’s shield, makes the shield capable of absorbing, storing, and redirecting all the kinetic energy and vibrations hurled at it. The more energy it absorbs within the bonds between its molecules, the more powerful the material becomes. If vibranium were a realistic element, describe where it would fit on the periodic table and why.

4. Tony Stark upgrades Peter Parker’s webbing with materials that cannot be found in a high school chemistry class. Fiberglass, however, is a material that is easy to obtain and has some of the same desirable properties as Peter Parker’s web. Describe the properties of fiberglass that would be useful if it were developed into a web.

5. Peter Parker was not only famous for shooting webs, but also has the ability to quickly scale buildings. Geckos are similar to Peter Parker in that they can “stick” to walls. Explain the science behind this ability and research materials in development that can make scaling walls like Spiderman a reality.

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