Nanoparticle Experiments Yield Strong Yet Pliable Polymer

Real progress is being made in the nanoparticle construction field, as evidenced by recent research into polyurethane manipulation at MIT.

By sprinkling tiny clay nanoparticles throughout an elastic polyurethane, researchers were able to significantly enhance the stiffness and greatly reduce the temperature sensitivity. In fact, the polymer was 20 times as stiff, four times as tough, and resistant to temperatures twice as high as previously existing polymers.

The pliable clay nanoparticles added a stretchiness to the stiff polymer, allowing greater sensitivity to adverse conditions without the breakage that had so accompanied previous experiments. In fact, the new polymer absorbs energy so effectively that it continues to stretch while accepting more and more, up to four time as much as before.

The endgame in all of this is a fabric that can be reproduced on a “normal” level to be used in tear-resistant clothing, super-strong food packaging, and even parts of a car.