Oyster Shells Inspire New Method to Make Superstrong, Flexible Polymers
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - 08:41
in Physics & Chemistry
Columbia Engineers developed a technique inspired by the nacre of oyster shells, a composite material that has extraordinary mechanical properties, including great strength and resilience. By changing the crystallization speed of a polymer mixed with nanoparticles, the team controlled how nanoparticles self-assemble into structures at three different length scales. This multiscale ordering can make the base material almost an order of magnitude stiffer while retaining the desired deformability and lightweight behavior of the polymeric materials.