"Super Ice": A Special Building Material for the North and South Poles?

During World War II, the UK attempted to build aircraft carriers using icebergs mixed with wood pulp. Although this idea was ultimately abandoned, the concept of using ice—an abundant and inexpensive raw material—as a building material has persisted to this day. According to an article on the Australian website "Science Alert" 12, an Israeli research team has developed "super ice," a material with strength equivalent to ordinary ice multiplied by 10. In the future, it could offer solutions for new construction materials in extreme environments.

Researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, created "super ice" by adding plant-based crystals and a custom protein to water. The findings were published in the journal *Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces*.

"Itado Braslavsky, a member of the research team, stated that the concept of 'super ice' was inspired by the UK's historical attempt to build an 'ice aircraft carrier' by mixing wood pulp into ice. 'We aimed to go beyond simply blending plant fibers into ice; instead, we controlled how different materials connect at the molecular level. The results not only enhanced the ice's strength but also altered its fracture behavior. Unlike conventional ice, which shatters suddenly under pressure, super ice absorbs more energy and deforms gradually.'"

Unlike the larger, disordered fibers found in wood pulp, researchers used cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to create "super ice." As a primary structural component of plants, CNCs act as microscopic reinforcements for other materials—including ice—by inhibiting crack propagation. Testing shows this super ice is 10 times stronger than regular ice and absorbs 70 times more energy before fracturing. Researchers believe that by adjusting composition and processing methods, they can further enhance this material to develop even stronger composites.

Researchers reveal that the future application of "super ice" will shift from aircraft carrier construction to serving as a building material in remote, cold regions like the Arctic and Antarctic. "By bridging the gap between recombinant protein design and structural engineering, this high-performance material can withstand extreme environmental conditions." Made primarily from ice and plant-based cellulose without requiring concrete or steel, super ice could be a new eco-friendly building material with a low carbon footprint and biodegradability. The report notes that while the construction industry is a cornerstone of the global economy, it remains one of the most severe environmental polluters, contributing to significant carbon emissions and resource depletion.

Furthermore, the design concept behind "Super Ice"—using custom proteins to bind two seemingly unrelated compounds (such as ice and cellulose)—could open new frontiers for materials used in packaging, construction, and beyond. (Wu Yan)