This week in adhesives news, researchers at Stanford have developed a polymer that stretches to 100x its own size and can repair itself if punctured. The material can reportedly repair itself at temperatures ranging from room temperature to -4° F, even days after the damage is done.
In March, I wrote about another hybrid polymer that mimics muscle, and researchers believe this new polymer may also have applications in creating artificial muscle due to its self-healing properties and because the polymer expands and contracts when exposed to an electric field. Researchers reportedly believe the stretchiness and self-healing ability come from their improvements to the crosslinking chemical bonding process.
More news from around the web:
1) 3M Scientist Carl A. Dahlquist Dies at Age 102
2) Bio-Based Resin Reinforced with Flax Fiber as Thermorheologically Complex Materials
3) Researchers Develop New Semiconducting Polymer for Forthcoming Flexible Electronics
Are you interested in news stories on a particular topic? Send your suggestions to Morgan Laidlaw at laidlawm@bnpmedia.com.