Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed BioPykrete, an ice composite strengthened with cellulose nanocrystals and a custom protein. The material is about 10 times stronger than regular ice and absorbs far more energy before breaking, bringing it closer to concrete in mechanical terms. The work builds on a 1940s idea called Pykrete, which used wood pulp in ice for a proposed aircraft carrier. The team says the material could serve as a low-carbon building material for remote cold regions like the Arctic and Antarctic, where shipping concrete and steel is expensive and emissions heavy. Since the main ingredients are ice and plant cellulose, the material is biodegradable and avoids the large carbon footprint of traditional cement. However, this is still a small-scale proof of concept. The researchers need to test long term durability, crack behavior, and production costs before BioPykrete can be considered for real construction projects.
