Smart Mud – A Self-healing Alternative for Plastic?
Could a mixture of water and clay replace plastics? As the desire to wean the world off oil intensifies there is a new discovery that just might be the answer to all our plastic needs in the future…
Smart mud…
Is a mixture of a few grams of clay with 100 grams of water in the presence of tiny quantities of a thickening agent called sodium polyacrylate and an organic ‘molecular glue’. The thickening agent separates the clay into thin sheets, increasing its surface area and allowing the glue to get a better hold on it.
The result?
A transparent and elastic hydrogel with sufficient mechanical strength to replace plastic in the near future!
A hydrogel made from water, clay and a "molecular glue" is strong enough to support its own weight. Future, stronger versions could replace plastics (Image: Takuzo Aida and Nature)
What defines this hydrogel…
Is the simplicity with which it can be made. The gel takes just three minutes to form and requires no special understanding of the chemical process involved to make it!
In spite of this…
The new class of material is tough, robust and also has the property of self-healing!
Self-repairing hydrogel?
Other hydrogels rely on covalent chemical bonds for their strength rather than supramolecular forces found in this new material. A disadvantage of this is that when the covalent bonds break the material irreversibly loses its strength. Supramolecular forces, on the other hand, can easily reform, so if the material fails under stress it can quickly regain its strength!
via: NewScientist
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