A team of physicists has published peer-reviewed G2Reader / kenmay /
Tag: material
A new polymer could make phone screen repairs a thing of the past
If you’ve ever had to deal with a cracked smartphone screen, you know what a hassle it can be. Slapping a screen protector on it is only a stopgap until you have to have the screen replaced , which comes with a decent price tag. Now, researchers in Tokyo have discovered a new polymer that may actually heal itself, potentially leading the way to a future of self-healing phone screens. The study was published in Science by a team of researchers led by Professor Takuzo Aida from the University of Tokyo. Titled “Mechanically robust, readily repairable polymers via tailored noncovalent cross-linking, ” the research promises a unique hard glass-like polymer called “polyether-thioureas” that can heal itself with only hand pressure. This makes it different than other materials that need high heat to heal up from a break. “High mechanical robustness and healing ability tend to be mutually exclusive, ” said researchers. “In most cases, heating to high temperatures, on the order of 120 degrees Celsius or more, to reorganize their cross-linked networks is necessary for the fractured portions to repair.” According to The Guardian , the special glass polymer was discovered by mistake by a graduate student, Yu Yanagisawa, who thought the material would become a type of glue. He found that cut edges of the polymer would stick to each other, and formed a strong sheet after being compressed by hand at 21 degrees Celsius. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen self-repairing phone tech, of course, with screen protectors that heal themselves and a Motorola patent for a self-repairing screen. However, new breakthroughs like this may help make broken screens and costly repairs a thing of the past. Via: The Guardian Source: Science
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A new polymer could make phone screen repairs a thing of the past
New surface is so slippery, shellfish can’t get a grip
Enlarge / A sticky situation. (credit: University of Washington ) When engineers look at mussels, they’re typically looking in awe at how they anchor themselves to nearly every surface imaginable, all while under water. The fibers they use to attach themselves are incredibly strong, and the adhesive works wet or dry on all sorts of materials. For the most part, engineers are looking to create a substance with similar properties. This week, however, brings an exception: engineers who want to try to keep mussels from sticking to everything. Zebra mussels, a species that has invaded the Great Lakes, is estimated to cost utilities hundreds of millions of dollars each year due to clogged pipes and intakes. Ships, buoys, and pretty much anything else we put in the water also ends up needing to have mussels cleared off. The international team behind the new work has designed a material that mussels can’t seem to get a grip on. It’s not because the mussel’s adhesive fail; instead, the mussel itself doesn’t seem to know what it’s touching when it’s set down on the material. Read 11 remaining paragraphs | Comments
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New surface is so slippery, shellfish can’t get a grip
Boeing’s Starliner space taxi will have over 600 3D-printed parts
Boeing may have pushed the Starliner’s first trip to the ISS back to 2018, but we’re sure to get more details about the space taxi between now and then. Reuters reports the spacecraft will pack more than 600 3D-printed parts thanks to Boeing’s recent deal with Oxford Performance Materials. Printed with a plastic called PEKK, the parts are expected to perform well under the stress of spaceflight and extreme temperatures. What’s more, the material offers both weight and cost savings for parts that are typically made out of metal and other plastics. Oxford says PEKK is strong as strong as aluminum, but it weighs “significantly” less. The company says its plastic is also fire and radiation resistant in addition to being able to withstand temperatures that range from minus 300 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Boeing will use the PEKK material for components in a number of areas, including brackets for the propulsion system and parts for the air revitalization system. Boeing is currently constructing three Starliner capsules under a $4.2 billion contract from NASA. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is also building a space taxi capsule with its $2.6 contract with the US space agency. While Boeing expects to launch a test flight in June 2018 with a manned mission to follow in August, SpaceX also eyes a 2018 launch for its Dragon capsule. Of course, when Boeing sends a Starliner into space, its crew will be outfitted with fancy new spacesuits . Source: Reuters
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Boeing’s Starliner space taxi will have over 600 3D-printed parts
LED lights could get better with self-assembling particles
LEDs have dramatically transformed the lighting world over the past few years, thanks to their increased efficiency and life-span over past technologies. But LEDs could see even more upgrades with perovskite particles, a self-assembling nanoscale material that could make them even more efficient and cheaper to produce, Physorg reports . Researchers have already shown how perovskites could improve solar cells, but until now it was difficult to create uniform films made out of the material. “Our new technique allows these nanoparticles to self-assemble to create ultra-fine grained films, an advance in fabrication that makes perovskite LEDs look more like a viable alternative to existing technologies, ” said Barry Rand , an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Princeton and the lead researcher in the findings. Basically, this bodes well for the future of LEDs. It could eventually make it easier to developer LED panels for TVs and monitors, or drive down the cost of LED lighting. Lighting using the new technology are superior in many ways to old-school incandescent bulbs, or even slightly more modern fluorescent bulbs, but they still cost quite a bit more than the older competition. Via: Physorg Source: Nature
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LED lights could get better with self-assembling particles
The Markforged Metal X prints real metal parts
The new Markforged Metal X is pretty great. It is a full metal 3D printer that generates real metal parts out of powdered metal which is then hardened under massive heat and allows for amazingly strong and light materials. The printer uses tubes of powered metal bound with plastic. The “extruder” first creates the shapes on a regular build plate and then you bond the material in… Read More
How to Grow Objects With Mushroom Mycelium
You might be familiar with Danielle Trofe’s Mush-Lume lighting collection and the concept of growing objects with mushroom mycelium —we’ve covered both stories on our site before. Thanks to Trofe and Ecovative Design , I learned how to DIY my own mushroom-grown container in the comfort of the GROW studio space at Industry City, Brooklyn. Yes, I really did grow a mushroom mycelium planter in my kitchen last week—here’s a breakdown of the process. Learn the basics and then freestyle—post your creations in the comments! Trofe’s Mush-Lume lighting collection. Much to my surprise, the process isn’t complicated at all—I was intimidated by the strange live material at first, but I quickly realized how friendly it can be. All the mushroom material needs to start its new life as a planter are flour, water and patience (about a week of patience, to be exact). Just add regular flour and water to a mixture of dry chopped mushroom roots and agricultural waste (seed husks, corn stalks, etc.)—the flour acts as a food source, and the water activates the growth process. White fibers are a good sign! During the next three or four days, the mushroom mycelium will recognize the agricultural waste and flour as food and begin coming back to life. The mixture will form white fibers in the process. Break the material up again by hand (don’t forget gloves!) to prepare it for its growth into your desired shape—in this case, small planters. Before molding into a tool (a growing container), poke a generous amount of holes in the lid and a few on the bottom of the tool to allow air flow. We used plastic containers as our tools, but feel free to get creative with your material choice—wax, wood and clay are all in the clear, just make sure your material is waterproof and non-porous. During the molding process, the mushroom material feels like it won’t stay in place due to its relatively dry and crumbly texture. This is OK—the mushroom material’s bonding power is stronger than you’d think. Make sure to pack the material in tightly, but keep it loose enough to allow air flow—fungi is alive, after all. Once left to sit in the mold for four days, the mushroom mycelium needs to sit for one extra day in a sealed plastic bag, allowing the material to set itself. Air flow is key throughout this whole process—blow air into the bag and situate it in a way that none of its sides are touching the tool (except the bottom). After one day, remove the planter from the bag and its mold, and let it sit on a cookie cooling rack for one extra day. I also put mine in front of a fan to help with drying, which worked out well. You’ll notice that the planter feels strange to the touch. After racking my brain for awhile, I came to the conclusion that it feels exactly like the moldy rind that encases brie cheese. Looks like brie, but avoid giving your object a taste test! Since mushroom mycelium is live matter, it needs to be heated in order to lose its activity. I found myself feeling guilty thinking about killing the fungi I’d spent the last week nurturing. However, if this step is skipped, little mushroom spores will start growing out of your product, which is not the desired result. My finished planter coming out of the oven—note the slightly browned edges. Bake the pot at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes. I panicked when I realized my oven starts at 250 degrees F—luckily I’m a baker and thought to bake mine at 250 degrees F for 25 minutes instead, and it turned out well. When you remove the planter from your oven, you’ll notice that its moldy hand feel has been replaced by a stiff, paper mâché-like one. This means you’ve done well, and your final product is ready to function as a planter, or whatever else you have in mind. Drill or poke a small hole in the bottom of your planter to allow water drainage, and you’re all set to plant your small plant—one that doesn’t require a lot of moisture works best. Yes, it really is that easy. An example of one of Trofe’s finished products. She chose to use this one as a bowl instead of a planter, but it would be just as safe to pot her plant directly in the bowl. After awhile, your planter will start to degrade and lose its shape. No worries! Simply re-pot your plant in a larger planter while still inside of your mycelium one. The mycelium material will break down, acting as a food source for your plant as it adjusts to its new home. Want to try this process out yourself or learn more? Go for it !
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How to Grow Objects With Mushroom Mycelium
Sustainable Leather Grown from Mushrooms!
A San-Francisco-based company called MycoWorks has made an incredible advance in materials: They can now grow leather from the mycelium in mushrooms, using a process that’s renewable, CO2-negative and customizable. That latter part means they can predetermine what the leather looks like—cow, elephant skin, snakeskin—and most intriguingly, can grow it to any size! The company claims that the material “feels and performs like leather, ” being “strong, flexible and durable, just like conventional leathers. It is also water-resistant.” Furthermore, they state that their production process “takes a fraction of the time and resources…compared to processes for making leather from animal hides.” Green credentials aside, I think what’s most fascinating is the fact that they can grow it in large sheets. When selecting hides, all leatherworkers must live with the limitations of a cow’s body; with that obstacle removed, I think that once the right designer gets their hands on this stuff, we’ll see some truly spectacular, large-scale leather creations that could not be produced the conventional way.
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Sustainable Leather Grown from Mushrooms!
Squid protein makes textiles self-healing
You might be able to repair your ripped jeans one day just be adding water, thanks to a breakthrough from Penn State researchers. Based on its earlier research on self-healing plastics , the team turned squid teeth proteins (yep) into a liquid form using yeast and bacteria, then used it to coat cotton, wool and other fabrics. If the material is torn, you just need to put the edges together, apply warm water and it magically “heals, ” as flexible and strong as before — even after being laundered. “Fashion designers use natural fibers made of proteins like wool or silk that are expensive and they are not self-healing, ” said Penn State Professor Melik C. Demirel. “We were looking for a way to make fabrics self-healing using conventional textiles. So we came up with this coating technology.” The proteins can be used to fix regular, non-coated fabrics by adding water, or applied to threads before the material is even made. The technique isn’t perfect — there are visible seams — but it’s still better, stronger and easier than any sew job I’d attempt. As the garments can be self-healed by water, throwing them in the wash would also fix small tears or other defects. It sounds great for klutzy clothes owners, but the research, supported by the US Army and Navy research arms, isn’t just aimed at consumers. Dermirel thinks the substance could be adapted to create clothing that protects soldiers, farmers or industrial workers by neutralizing toxic chemicals. “If you need to use enzymes for biological or chemical effects, you can have an encapsulated enzyme with self-healing properties degrade the toxin before it reaches the skin, ” he said. By adding anti-bacterial properties, it could also be used in medical dressings or mesh clothing to reduce infection risks. The team now needs to figure out how to create the proteins without using actual squid or their teeth, and plans to further torture-test the repaired materials. “The next step would be to see if clothes can self-repair when we pour the liquid into a washing machine, like you would a detergent, and apply water and heat, ” Demirel tells CNN . Via: Gizmodo Source: Penn State
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Squid protein makes textiles self-healing
A Few Things You Should Know About the "Darkest Material Ever Made"
The color Vantablack has recently taken the world by storm after artist Anish Kapoor announced that he has acquired exclusive rights to the use of this color. According to sources and scientists, it is the blackest substance known to man and absorbs as much as 99.6% of light . Kapoor’s trippy application of Vantablack As questions swirl around about the ethical implications of someone owning such a material, I wanted to dig a little bit more into the details of this fascinating pigment discovery. First off: how is Vantablack made and why is it ? As you probably know, pigments originally came from a large variety of organic sources. For example, blue often derives from lapis rock while the oldest source of bright green pigment is malachite , which is found in copper ore deposits. Lapis lazuli rock, an organic pigment source. Vantablack on the other hand is grown in labs and is actually made from carbon nanotubes—yes, tubes . This “forest” of highly condensed tubes, grown on the surface of aluminum, are what cause the dark pigment as well as helping to explain exactly why it is so dark. So why IS Vantablack so incredibly dark? In order to understand exactly how dark this material is, we have to go back to this idea of carbon nanotubes. Growing carbon nanotubes is not a new technology, and have been proposed for potential use in situations like cleaning oil spills and boosting solar energy storage due to its amazing structural makeup. A visualization of the material; to give you an idea of scale, this material is almost 50, 000 times smaller than a human hair . The material is 200 times stronger than steel, 1000 times more conductive than copper, and almost half the density of aluminum (an important point that we’ll revisit). According to the inventors of Vantablack, Surrey Nanosystems , when light interacts with this incredibly low density material it “is rapidly absorbed as it ‘bounces’ from tube to tube and simply cannot escape as the tubes are so long in relation to their diameter and the space between them. The near total lack of reflectance creates an almost perfect black surface.” Why in the world was Vantablack made? To put it simply, Vantablack was originally made for NASA—not only for its color, but also the structural integrity of the pigment. The pigment was applied to telescope components to absorb unwanted light from entering a telescope’s incredibly sensitive light detectors, but also proved “to withstand launch shock, staging and long-term vibration, making it suitable for coating internal components .” Vantablack is seen on the far left on a component for the International Space Station. So given all of this information, what do you guys think of this phenomenon going on right now surrounding this material: should someone be able to gain exclusive rights to a color with this much potential? What are some other uses you see for a pigment like this in the world? Also anyone who knows about this material and has more information to contribute, we’d love to hear in the comments below.
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A Few Things You Should Know About the "Darkest Material Ever Made"