At I’mnovation Hub, we are always looking to develop new materials, such as building construction or new devices. In that sense, nature is a fertile ground that draws inspiration for innovation. Proof of this is the beetle-inspired construction materials we talked about recently, as well as glue that mimics gecko abilities. This time proficiency is due to the spider, and the spider web is his one of nature. Elastomer.
You’ve probably heard the saying about the strength of a spider’s web. It is a flexible yet extremely durable material. Let’s take a quick look at the reasons for these qualities and their latest uses.
In this article you will find:
What is Elastomer
First, let’s clear up some doubts about this kind of material. The term elastomer is derived from “elastic” and “polymer”. There are already some clues about their nature. They are elastic polymers. These structures are therefore characterized by their stretchability and ability to regain their natural shape. A basic example of a plant-based elastomer is rubber.
Natural elastomers, such as those found in rubber, tend to melt in heat and become brittle in cold. They need specific treatments to be truly effective. For this reason, synthetic elastomers have replaced natural elastomers since the early 20th century. There are over 20 different elastomers including latex, polyurethane, silicone and neoprene. Today, their applications are virtually limitless. The most widespread are:
- tire
- cable insulation
- tube
- gloves
- hose
- balloon
- wiper
- rubber band
- conveyor belt
- prosthesis
In addition to these everyday uses, elastomers open the door to even more innovative applications. Let’s look at some of them.
Ultra-strong material based on spider web elastomer
As already mentioned, humans are not the first to manufacture and use elastomers. He incorporates one of nature’s strongest elastomers. A molecule with eight hydrogen bonds Used by spiders to weave traps. You may have read that spider webs are stronger than steel.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has investigated this type of molecular structure and develop super-strong materials.
Spider webs, especially concentric rings, combine two properties that are usually incompatible: stiffness and toughness. Until now, in the case of commercial products, the higher the rigidity, the lower the toughness. This is because the higher the stiffness, the lower the energy dissipation. One example is glass. Glass is hard, but not solid.
Fortunately, researchers at a Norwegian university have combined both properties in a new material with hard and soft segments. Silicon-based polymer known as PDMS.
In addition to being super strong, the material is also self-healing and has many uses. For example, it can be used in smart clothing due to its ability to withstand twisting.
graphene spider web
Just as elastomers are very common in our daily lives, materials are just as ubiquitous in the field of advanced research.Of course we are talking about ubiquitous grapheneOne of the latest applications of this carbon-based material takes advantage of the spider web silk structure and the flexibility of PDMS (the polymer we saw in the previous case).
As reported in scientific journals ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, a team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology created a new type of highly flexible and sensitive sensor with an E-GWF structure. It stands for “elastomer-filled graphene fabric” and is the key to a technology with great potential.
An innovative fabric composed of graphene-coated PDMS yarns is piezo-resistant. In addition to being flexible, this means that it is sensitive to changes in electric fields, so it can be used for epidermal sensors and other devices that come into contact with human skin.
Elastomer-based artificial muscle
The creation of materials that behave like human muscles, i.e., contract in a highly responsive manner, has been the subject of much research. Fortunately, elastomers have again come to the aid of scientists and appear to have taken an important step in this direction.
This time, it is a liquid crystal elastomer called LCE for short. Researchers at the University of California electro spinning These manufacturing processes Synthetic fabric that mimics human muscle.
By using the electrospinning method in which an electric discharge is applied to a polymer to generate ultrafine filaments, we succeeded in fabricating materials with high tensile strength and high responsiveness to heat and near-infrared light.
This new example of an elastomer could have exciting applications in human muscle reconstructive surgery and the development of robotic muscular systems.
Elastomer that behaves like Batman’s cape
What no one may have realized was that Superman’s cape was purely decorative. resistance must be provided. There, only in terms of realism, the devices used by Batman were much more functional.
New material developed by caltech The US lab follows similar principles as seen in Batman Begins. The hero transforms his cloak into a hard surface and glides around Arkham.
Developed at this center associated with the University of California, the fabric consists of an octahedral-shaped polymer mesh obtained by 3D printing. This fabric, which has a chain mail-like structure, hardens when heated.
This is accomplished utilizing a layer of liquid crystal elastomer or LCE, an example of an elastomer we saw in the previous case. When an electric current passes through it, it generates heat and shrinks into a given shape.
The innovative structure allows Exoskeleton in the field of biomedicine or temporary shelter at the time of disaster.
In addition to the elastomer examples above, if you want to learn more about materials inspired by plants, birds, and insects, check out this article on biomimetics.
sauce: engineering plastics, Cytec Daily, Nanowork, caltech, ACS,
