The following excerpts are from Das Astronomischen Rechen-Institut's _Handbook of Materials Science, English Edition for 2302_, AR-I press, Heidelberg, Germany/Earth (Sol III)/Core, 2302, by Dr. Hans Oberch.
A lot of new materials have made their debut in the last 300 years, many of which have unique properties. Composites, synthetics, composite synthetics, diamondoid, advanced composites, advanced composite matrix armors, and now even biosynthetics. Many of these have trademarked names, which may or may not be familiar to the general reader. Some of these materials, and their qualities, will be briefly outlined here:
ACMA(TM) - ACMA (an abbreviation for "Advanced Composite Matrix Armor") is about 1/4 the mass of an equally sized piece of metal, yet resists damage like a piece of hardened steel three times as thick. It's pricey, at Lv 50/kg, but is currently the best protection that money can buy. It also has only 1/5 the normal reflectivity of metals, as well.
Carbon Composites - There are many forms of carbon composites, such as CarbacompTM, above. Carbon has become one of mankind's most able servants, being capable of conducting current, cutting most other materials, or being electrically inert and soft, as the designers desire. It can also be used as a dry lubricant. Everything from monofilament fibers to blades and cybergear are made from carbon composites of one form or another.
Ceramet - A generic name for the composites (and now advanced composites) made of ceramics and metals. These are generally used in rigid armors, and various formulas are better protection against electrical, kinetic, or radiation attacks. Prices range from almost Lv 16/kg to Lv 50/kg.
Crysteel(TM) - Trilon's trademarked name for its version of aligned-crystal steel. This steel is produced in Zero-G by orbital factory complexes, often from asteroidal or cometary materials, and is frequently used in the construction of starship hulls. It is relatively inexpensive, at Lv 0.125/kg, and enjoys its greatest popularity in the Core, where metals are relatively scarce. Other firms sell much the same product under (at last count) 112 different trademarked names, including Crystalsteel(TM), Crystar(TM), etc.
Diamondoid - Artificially formed diamond. While it has much the same appearance as diamond, it is actually tougher and less subject to stress fractures or cutting. One of the very first nanotech engineering projects. Sometimes still referred to as "Buckyballs", for esoteric Pre-Twilight historical reasons.
Djinnite(TM) - (Pronounced Gee-Night or Jenite) An extremely light, translucent, glasslike composite material developed in the late 2250s by Dao. It can be colored (through the addition of impurities) almost any color, and is used in applications where glass would be too heavy. It is brittle in very thin sheets, and has a lower melting point than most forms of glass, but is a popular replacement for stained glass, and has greater strength in sheets over two millimeters thick.
Durafilm(TM) - An advanced synthetic material with an almost rubberlike feel, and a translucent, milky appearance. Often used to coat the outer surfaces of electronics or other goods in order to make them resistant to the environment. In thin layers, it is nearly transparent, and can be read through. Thus, it is frequently used for protecting touch-sensitive computer screens. Like many synthetic materials, it sell for roughly Lv 3.75/kg (but it takes very little to waterproof most hand-held items).
Duralloy(TM) - One of the very first advanced composites, and still one of the strongest. As its name implies, it is extremely durable, and is often used in construction underwater, or in corrosive environments. Only the international Megalon MegaCorporation knows the exact makeup of this alloy, or the secrets of its working. To date, all imitations have produced only inferior variants. Thus, prices remain high, and demand low. Duralloy appears as a dull, grey metal.
Duranium(TM) - A tough, light, highly durable advanced composite of boron and carbon, developed by the French materials monopoly in the 2290s.
Formulon(TM) - An electrically conductive organic plastic discovered by the IEX in certain life forms native to Oiseau (Vogelheim IV). The money derived from the licensing rights on formulon (used in nanotech, cybercalculaters and computers, medical technology, etc.) are enormous, and partially fund the IEX. Formulon is highly resistant to the halogens, and most organic acids.
Ge(e)nite - Common misspellings of Djinnite.
Glassteel(TM) - The advanced construction composite now commonly used in 24th century windows, with the appearance of glass, but the strength of steel. In the usual window pane thickness, it is capable of withstanding a Major League hardball pitch without cracking, and can even withstand some minor small arms fire. At greater thicknesses, it can stop most civilian rifle fire (at effective range or less). It will dent or tear under great pressure, but will not shatter except when subjected to explosions.
Gnotheare(TM) - Aerodyne's name for their latest low profile synthetic. Sometimes used for the hulls of "stealth" starships. At nearly Lv 12/kg it's not as pricey as their advanced synthetic, and has 1/2 the reflectivity of normal synthetics, but three times as much as Nothar.
Inertiaweave(TM) - Deuxponte's trademarked name for its inertial armor fabric, which is relatively soft and flexible, until it is struck by a fast-moving object, when it becomes rigid. Other companies sell a similar product under various names, such as Dao's Inertiaweb(TM).
Jannite(TM) - Another Dao Chemical innovation, Jannite is a heavy, high-temperature composite material commonly used as a replacement for glass in applications such as the windows of re-entry vehicles, Inferno land vehicles, blast furnaces, etc. It looks much like ordinary leaded glass.
Kevlar® - A Pre-Twilight War synthetic aramid fiber used in the original "bulletproof" vests and flak jackets of the mid to late 20th century. Other companies sold much the same thing under different names, such as Twaron(TM), etc. This was superceeded by more advanced synthetics, and is only mentioned for historical references.
Nothar(TM) - Aerodyne's top-of-the-line, top-dollar, advanced synthetic hull material for minimum reflectivity (Lv 37.5/kg). It has 1/3 the reflectivity of low profile synthetics, 1/6 that of normal synthetics, and only 1/10 that of metallic hulls.
Plasteel(TM) - One of the more interesting forays into advanced composite materials, plasteel is a composite of plastics and metal alloys, and is easily molded when freshly mixed, resists most forms of corrosion and acids that would eat through either plastics or metals, and dries to a hardness set by the manufacturer (anywhere from soft aluminum to hardened steel). Originally patented and trademarked by Carl Anderson (of Earth) in 2205, development rights and use of the name have been non-exclusively sold to many companies.
Spectra - A second generation aramid fiber, the various incarnations of Spectra (SpectraShield(TM), SpectraFlex(TM), etc.) massed roughly 1/6 what their Kevlar® predecessors did, while providing equal protection. This material, too, has been surpassed by later materials, and is mentioned only for comparative historical reasons.
Stellite(TM) - A glossy black, slightly translucent glass-like substance appearing to be simple volcanic glass (much like obsidian) formed of chemical compounds not present on Earth (Sol III), and first discovered in the Terran Kupier belt by the Nakagema Asteroid Mining Company in 2147. It has odd capacitance capabilities, and is used in various aspects of the Electrical, Imaging, Medical, and Sensor industries. Nakagema produced the first artifically formed Stellite in 2156, and is the sole supplier, to this day.
Material Lv/kg
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Metallics 0.125
Synthetics 3.750
LP Synthetics 11.667
Advanced Synthetics 37.500
Composites 16.667
Advanced Composites 50.000