Materials are the cornerstone of the progress of human civilization and the foundation of scientific and technological development. From ancient stone tools and bronze ware, to modern steel and plastics, and now to semiconductor materials, composite materials and new energy materials, the emergence of each new material has promoted the progress of human science and technology and the upgrading of industries. In today’s rapid development of science and technology, new material technology has become one of the core fields of global scientific and technological competition, and even a key support for breaking through many scientific and technological bottlenecks and empowering the upgrading of all walks of life.
New material technology refers to the technology that develops new materials and improves the performance and function of existing materials through physical, chemical, biological and other methods to meet the high-end needs of various industries for materials. At present, new material technology mainly focuses on multiple fields such as semiconductor materials, composite materials, new energy materials, biomedical materials and nanomaterials, and each new material plays an irreplaceable role in a specific field.
Semiconductor materials are the core of the information technology industry, known as the “grain of the information age”. With the development of artificial intelligence, big data, 5G, quantum computing and other technologies, the performance requirements for semiconductor materials are getting higher and higher. Traditional silicon-based semiconductor materials have gradually approached physical limits and are difficult to meet the needs of high-end chips. The emergence of new semiconductor materials (such as silicon carbide, gallium nitride, graphene, etc.) provides the possibility for the upgrading of the semiconductor industry. Wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride have the advantages of high temperature resistance, high pressure resistance and low loss, and are widely used in fields such as new energy vehicles, 5G communication and power electronics, which can greatly improve the efficiency and reliability of equipment; as a new type of two-dimensional material, graphene has the advantages of ultra-high strength, ultra-high conductivity and ultra-high thermal conductivity, and is expected to be applied in fields such as chips, batteries and sensors, triggering a new technological revolution.
Composite materials are materials composed of two or more different materials through physical or chemical methods. They have the advantages of high strength, light weight, corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, and are widely used in fields such as aerospace, aviation, automobiles and new energy. In the aerospace field, composite materials are used to manufacture spacecraft such as satellites, rockets and space stations, which can greatly reduce the weight of spacecraft and improve the carrying capacity and reliability of spacecraft; in the automotive field, composite materials are used to manufacture bodywork, chassis and other components, which can reduce the weight of vehicles, reduce energy consumption and improve the safety of vehicles; in the new energy field, composite materials are used to manufacture wind turbine blades, photovoltaic brackets and other equipment, which can improve the durability and service life of equipment.
New energy materials are the core supporting the development of the new energy industry, mainly including lithium battery materials, hydrogen energy materials, photovoltaic materials, etc. The optimization of lithium battery materials can improve the energy density, cycle life and safety of lithium batteries, promoting the development of the new energy vehicle and energy storage industries; the breakthrough of hydrogen energy materials (such as hydrogen fuel cell catalysts, hydrogen storage materials) can solve the problems of hydrogen production, storage and transportation, promoting the popularization and application of the hydrogen energy industry; the upgrading of photovoltaic materials can improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy, reduce the cost of photovoltaic power generation, and promote the development of the solar energy industry.
Biomedical materials are materials used for diagnosing, treating and repairing human tissues or organs. They have the characteristics of biocompatibility, safety and functionality, and are widely used in the medical field. For example, medical metal materials (such as titanium alloys) are used to manufacture artificial joints, orthopedic implants, etc., which can replace damaged human tissues or organs and help patients recover their health; medical polymer materials (such as polyurethane, polylactic acid) are used to manufacture medical catheters, artificial skin, etc., which have good biocompatibility and can reduce human rejection reactions; medical ceramic materials are used to manufacture dental implants, etc., which have the advantages of wear resistance and corrosion resistance and can improve the service life of implants.
At present, the development of new material technology still faces some challenges: the research and development cycle of new materials is long and the cost is high, and the industrialization of some new materials is difficult; the performance and reliability of new materials still need to be improved, which is difficult to meet the needs of high-end fields; in addition, the environmental protection of new materials is also a major concern. The production and use of some new materials may cause pollution to the environment. In the future, the development of new material technology will move towards the direction of “high performance, low cost, environmental protection and multi-function”, strengthen basic research and technological breakthroughs, and promote the industrialization application of new materials; new materials will integrate deeply with artificial intelligence, big data, quantum computing and other technologies, empower the upgrading of aerospace, aviation, new energy, medical care, information technology and other industries, and provide strong material support for the progress of human science and technology.