A team from the University of California, Merced (USA) has invented a quirky but promising material. With each strike against it, the material becomes harder and harder.
Experts consider such “adaptive durability” one of the most important material traits. It helps protect products from damage and improves their resistance to destruction, even under harsh conditions.
Inspiration came from cornstarch.
The team drew inspiration from cornstarch. Unlike wet sand, which keeps a roughly constant viscosity whether it’s stirred or compacted, cornstarch behaves like a liquid when stirred gently and like a solid when stirred quickly. ScienceAlert explained that this difference comes down to particle size.
California researchers wanted to see if they could reproduce that behavior in a polymer. The team began with so-called conjugated polymers, whose molecular structure lets materials conduct electricity while staying soft and elastic.
By combining certain molecules, the scientists created a film that deforms or stretches under sudden impacts. The faster the impacts, the stiffer the material became.
The team says that mixing two positively charged and two negatively charged polymers produces ultra-small structures that look like miniature meatballs in a bowl of tangled spaghetti. These “meatballs” absorb impacts without falling apart, preserving the film and its conductivity.
What is it for?
“There are a number of potential applications for it, and we are excited to see where this new, unconventional property will lead us,” said the lead author of the study, Yue Wang.
If produced at scale, the inventors say the material could be used in many areas. For example: smartwatch straps, sensors, medical monitors (for cardiovascular monitoring or glucose measurement), gadgets, and clothing.
Personalized electronic prosthetics are another potential application. Researchers hope that, eventually, limb prosthetics could be 3D-printed.
This invention is another reminder of how materials can change our lives.
