China achieves breakthrough in developing high-performance super thin copper foil material

A group of Chinese researchers have succeeded in developing a super thin copper foil material simultaneously featuring the properties of ultrahigh strength, high conductivity and high thermal stability, paving the way for manufacturing next-generation batteries and integrated circuits.

The findings were published in the journal Science on Friday.

Copper foil serves both as a channel for electric current and as a conductor of heat. For decades, the material has faced a long-standing challenge: improving strength typically comes at the expense of conductivity, while better conductivity often weakens thermal stability.

In other words, gains in one property have long tended to come at the expense of the others.

According to the researchers, the material is a 10-micrometer-thick copper foil featuring nanoscale grains and periodically distributed gradient super-nano domains of approximately 3 nanometers in size throughout its thickness, and can be produced through an industrially scalable electrodeposition process.

In terms of strength, conventional industrial copper foil typically has a tensile strength of around 300 to 600 megapascals, while the newly developed material reaches about 900 megapascals, roughly twice that of standard products.

Despite the sharp increase in strength, the material retains electrical conductivity equivalent to 90 percent of high-purity copper. Compared with traditional copper alloys of similar strength, its conductivity is roughly twice as high.

It also demonstrates strong thermal stability. While many high-strength materials tend to see performance degradation within days, the new copper foil material shows no decline after six months of storage under normal conditions, making it well suited for electronic devices and batteries that require long-term stability.

According to the researchers, these properties stem from a dual stabilization-strengthening mechanism, in which periodically distributed super-nano domains simultaneously enhance strength and stabilize grain boundaries.

With its demonstrated industrial scalability, the material is expected to support next-generation upgrades in smartphones, artificially intelligence (AI) chips and electric vehicles.

China achieves breakthrough in developing high-performance super thin copper foil material

China achieves breakthrough in developing high-performance super thin copper foil material

China will carry out intensive space missions in 2026, including close-in asteroid exploration, manned spaceflights, and flight tests of reusable rockets, a senior official with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Friday.

China carried out 92 space launches in 2025, up 35 percent from the previous year, according to the CNSA.

Last year, China successfully launched the Tianwen-2 asteroid flyby and sampling mission, carried out four launch missions and two return missions for the manned space program, successfully conducted the first emergency space launch, and smoothly advanced the manned lunar landing project, the CNSA said.

In addition, China has actively promoted application of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in key areas and mass consumption, fully accelerated the building of its satellite internet, and carried out maiden flight tests of two types of reusable carrier rockets, namely the Zhuque-3 and the Long March-12A.

""In 2026, the Tianwen-2 will approach its target asteroid for close-in exploration, the manned space program will carry out the Shenzhou-23 and other manned spaceflights, and multiple types of reusable rockets will undergo flight tests. The commercial space sector will ensure high-quality development with a high level of safety," said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the CNSA's system engineering department.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China's space industry. This milestone will be celebrated alongside the 11th Space Day of China on April 24, with the primary event scheduled in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province and with Brazil being the guest of honor.

Besides, China will hold the China Space Conference, activities to popularize aerospace science in schools, and technical exchange events to celebrate the anniversary.

China to carry out intensive space missions in 2026: official