Flexible, squishy hydrogel materials are used in a dizzying array of applications, from soft contact lenses to Jell-O. But all share a common structure: a tangled network of polymer chains soaked in water. Now researchers have developed a new version of a hydrogel cousin that is tougher and could perhaps find even more uses, including longer-lasting batteries. Meet their “ionogel.”
Michael Dickey, a chemical engineer at North Carolina State University, and his colleagues have devised a new method for creating ionogels with mechanical properties he describes as “best in class.” They are harder to break than either cartilage or natural rubber while remaining soft and stretchy. . His team’s ionogels conduct electricity and remain stable amid shifting temperatures. And if heat is applied, they can self-heal a cut or tear.
But are they biodegradable? Not addressed in the article.
I've enjoyed reading Scientific American for a long time, and then along came the internet and paywalls. SciAm, if you're going to post an article, ostensibly to lure me into a subscription, let me read the entire article. Otherwise, get unfollowed. Buh bye.
Does Richard know about this, VikaPT84?
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Shanghai reports 13,086 new asymptomatic, 268 new symptomatic coronavirus cases for April 4The major Chinese financial centre of Shanghai reported 13,086 new asymptomatic coronavirus cases and 268 symptomatic cases on April 4, the city government said on its official WeChat channel on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters - 🏆 2. / 97 Read more »
New bill proposes later start time for New Jersey high schoolsStudents get to sleep in? New bill proposes a later start time for New Jersey high schools. California has already done this. It’s an adjustment and does impact outdoor sports if lights aren’t available, but my kid wakes up on his own with no alarm and uses full sentences when he’s leaving in the morning. So that’s a win 😂
Source: CBSNewYork - 🏆 268. / 63 Read more »
Meet Jon Batiste, new Grammy winner with plenty going on - New York Amsterdam NewsJon Batiste wears so many hats he may need a closet for them all — recording artist, bandleader, musical director, film composer, museum creative director and scion of New Orleans musical royalty.
Source: NYAmNews - 🏆 269. / 63 Read more »
Goldee's Barbecue Celebrates the Lao New Year with a New SausageSay it Lao’der for the people in the back. April is the month for the Lao New Year traditionally called Pi Mai. Technically it’s from April 14 to April 16,
Source: dallas_observer - 🏆 453. / 53 Read more »
Amazon's first US union overcomes hurdles, faces new ones - New York Amsterdam NewsWhen a scrappy group of former and current warehouse workers on Staten Island, New York went head-to-head with Amazon in a union election, many compared it to a David and Goliath battle.
Source: NYAmNews - 🏆 269. / 63 Read more »