Scientists Created an Odd New Material That Hardens Upon Impact

According to recent research conducted by a group of researchers from the University of California, Merced, electronic devices and sensors may one day be built from a material that toughens up as it is struck or strained.

The phrase “adaptive durability” refers to this quality, which is significant for materials science. It denotes resilience to stress and defense against harm, even in hostile surroundings.

Development of the New Material

Stirred by adding water, the cooking cornstarch served as the model for the new substance. In contrast to wet sand, which remains viscous when mixed or pounded, cornstarch slurry behaves as a solid when punched rapidly and as a liquid when stirred gently.

When crushed slowly, the tiny cornstarch particles behave like a fluid because they repel one another. However, they contact and cause friction when struck quickly, behaving like a solid. The size of the particles causes this behavioral variation.

The study examined whether a polymer substance might produce the same outcomes.

The team began by working with conjugated polymers, which are particular polymers that allow things to transmit electricity while remaining pliable and soft. We can create these materials using a wide variety of molecular combinations.

Here, they combined poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) long molecules, polyaniline short molecules, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), a very effective conductor. If those terms sound unfamiliar, do not fret. All that is important is that the combination produced a film that stretched or distorted when struck by fast blows.

The material became harder as the impacts occurred. 10% more PEDOT: PSS enhanced the material’s conductivity and adaptive endurance.

The researchers claim that selecting two negatively and two positively charged polymers produced a material with incredibly minute structures resembling tiny meatballs in a spaghetti-bowl-like mess. These “meatballs” preserve the material’s conductivity by absorbing the impact shock without entirely disintegrating.

Further studies suggest that the incorporation of positively charged 1,3-propane-diamine nanoparticles further augments toughness, subtly diminishing the resilience of the “meatballs” to enable the material to endure more substantial impacts, while simultaneously reinforcing the “spaghetti strings” encasing them to maintain the material’s structural integrity.

Potential Applications and Future Implications

Despite the scientific complexity, large-scale production of this material could unlock real-world applications beyond the lab. The research team offers wearable sensors, smartwatch bands, and health monitors – for glucose levels or cardiovascular health, for instance.

Another possible application the researchers have previously tested is customized electronic prosthetics. Eventually, this adaptable material has the potential to revolutionize prosthetics by enabling 3D printing of artificial limbs.

It serves as another reminder of the possibility of discovering new materials and refining existing ones and how this could alter our future in everything, from the gadgets we use to the garments we wear.

Materials scientist Yue Wang adds, “There are a lot of possible uses, and we have high hopes for where this new, uncommon property will lead us.”

The study was presented at the American Chemical Society’s spring 2024 meeting.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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