Photo: zeeshan on Pixabay
Another breakthrough for safety has been made possible by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) chemical engineers and researchers. They managed to develop a polymer (which is actually a plastic) that can self-assemble into sheets and form, unlike all other polymers known today, one-dimensional chains. Up until now this was thought to be impossible.
The lead author of the study, Yuwen Zeng, has already applied for two patents.
Polymers were for a long time on the mind of scientists. They had a hunch regarding what can be achieved if polymers could be induced to grow into a two-dimensional sheet. They theorized that plastics can, in the end, form extremely strong, lightweight materials. For a long time and after many tries this idea was dismissed. Now, MIT has proved them wrong!
The team behind the discovery has produced a new polymerization process that allows them to generate a two-dimensional sheet called a polyaramide. Together with melamine and under the right conditions, the monomers building blocks can grow and form disks. These then stack on top of each other and are held together by strong hydrogen bonds. The whole structure becomes stable and extraordinarily strong.
The senior author of the study says that plastics were never considered when it came to heavy structures like buildings, but now that might change. He is confident that the new polymer can, in fact, be used for cars as a durable coating or for cell phones that need a hard case.
The best news about this incredible new material is, in fact, the ability to be produced in large quantities without any real hassle. You simply have to increase the quantity of the starting materials, according to the team at MIT.
Dubbed the 2DPA-1, this new polymer is also impermeable to gases. This will prove useful in protecting metal found in cars, while adding an extra layer of toughness with no extra cost on the weight side.
Polymers were for a long time on the mind of scientists. They had a hunch regarding what can be achieved if polymers could be induced to grow into a two-dimensional sheet. They theorized that plastics can, in the end, form extremely strong, lightweight materials. For a long time and after many tries this idea was dismissed. Now, MIT has proved them wrong!
The team behind the discovery has produced a new polymerization process that allows them to generate a two-dimensional sheet called a polyaramide. Together with melamine and under the right conditions, the monomers building blocks can grow and form disks. These then stack on top of each other and are held together by strong hydrogen bonds. The whole structure becomes stable and extraordinarily strong.
The senior author of the study says that plastics were never considered when it came to heavy structures like buildings, but now that might change. He is confident that the new polymer can, in fact, be used for cars as a durable coating or for cell phones that need a hard case.
The best news about this incredible new material is, in fact, the ability to be produced in large quantities without any real hassle. You simply have to increase the quantity of the starting materials, according to the team at MIT.
Dubbed the 2DPA-1, this new polymer is also impermeable to gases. This will prove useful in protecting metal found in cars, while adding an extra layer of toughness with no extra cost on the weight side.
Google News