New 'Super Ice' BioPykrete Is 10 Times Stronger Than Regular Ice

Researchers combined ice with cellulose nanocrystals and a custom protein, CBM3a-AFPIII, that binds the plant-based crystals to the ice structure. In small-scale tests the material was about 10 times stronger than regular ice and absorbed 70 times more energy before breaking. The findings were published in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces.

• BioPykrete is about 10 times stronger than regular ice in small-scale tests
• The material absorbed 70 times more energy before breaking
• The protein CBM3a-AFPIII bonds ice with cellulose nanocrystals
• Potential uses include packaging and construction