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University of Michigan "Plastic Steel"  (Source: Science Magazine, University of Michigan)
Researchers invent nanosheet polymer that is transparent and as strong as steel

If Star Trek and Wonder Woman were any indicators, high-strength transparent materials have been the stuff of science fiction for decades. If researchers at the University of Michigan have anything to say about it, new transparent materials will become a reality very soon.

Researcher Nicolas Kotov considered dubbing the material “Plastic Steel” but decided the material was not pliable enough for the moniker.

The new material is constructed from layers of clay nano-sheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares similar chemistry with ordinary white glue. A paper on the new composite material was authored by Kotov and other University of Michigan faculty members for the October 5 edition of Science.

The material was created using a machine developed to build materials one nano-layer after another. A robotic arm hovers over a wheel of vials of different liquids. The arm takes a piece of glass the size of a stick of gum and dips it into the polymer glue material and then into a liquid containing a dispersion of clay nanosheets. After the layers dry, the process is repeated  until 300 layers of the polymer glue and clay nono-sheets form a super-strong transparent substrate.

That process created a piece of the material about as thick as a piece of plastic wrap. Researchers say that one of the reasons the material is so strong is that it uses a Velcro Effect.  The Velcro Effect allows bonds within the sheet that are broken to be reformed easily in a new place.

Researchers also claim to have increased the strength of the material by offsetting the seams of the layers -- similar to the way a bricklayer offsets bricks in a wall.

The material is currently being investigated for possible applications in aviation. Cosmos Magazine quotes Kotov as saying, "We're still at the exploratory stage but the machine is now being built in our lab to build piece as big as one meter by one meter."

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Revolutionary...
By Captain Orgazmo on 10/5/2007 6:35:51 PM , Rating: 5
If this material is as strong as is claimed, can be manufactured in sufficient amounts, and can be molded like plastics or welded like a metal, this will be the biggest revolution in construction material since... well, since steel.

Imagine: skyscrapers with transparent sides, and no need for structural lattice or inner skeleton; cars with completely transparent roofs (like a jet fighter canopy, except roll-over resistant); submarines with big viewing windows (or cruise ships with big below-waterline windows); passenger airplanes with windows like a coach bus has; bullet-resistant face shields for military or industry; innumerable uses in military aircraft/helicopters/vehicles; space stations with a heck of a view...

If this could be patented, the inventor would make Bill Gates look like a hobo :D




RE: Revolutionary...
By timmiser on 10/5/2007 7:10:48 PM , Rating: 3
You left out one important element required to complete the dream you describe:

Cost.

For it to be truly revolutionary like you describe, the cost of producing this would be the most important of all.


RE: Revolutionary...
By The0ne on 10/5/2007 7:30:29 PM , Rating: 2
Cost is always a factor for technology and specifically for NEW technologies. It's a matter of time really (and maybe bad marketing that could kill it)


RE: Revolutionary...
By scrapsma54 on 10/6/2007 12:50:41 AM , Rating: 2
So now we have the maximum armor for the nanosuit, The Chameleon fabric (I am not allowed to release in depth information on this stealth material other than the fact it exists and has the actual camo effect like you see in movies, Clemson rule), Now all thats left is super strength and super speed. Thats Not that hard now.


RE: Revolutionary...
By jkostans on 10/6/2007 1:24:24 PM , Rating: 2
You've been reading too many Crysis previews


RE: Revolutionary...
By scrapsma54 on 10/6/2007 6:07:08 PM , Rating: 1
asides the fact I was humorous, There is a fair share of fabric materials I have witnessed from the Polymer and fiber science majors that have been recently been declassified and It is amazing what I have seen. I have seen glass sheet with spirals of nano tubes on one side that when a electronic signal is sent, the particles will arrange and bend light. camouflage. The next generation of high definition will be made of a quartz powder mixed with another liquid to produce accurate color that rivals DLP, minus projection. It also uses Nano particles.
It seems Nano Particle technology is the future, therefore that is what I should have said.
This High strength polymer is just the tip of the iceberg with the advent of nano particles. Can you guess what is classified? You are probably right, but nobody will believe you.
(not aliens)


RE: Revolutionary...
By Mitch101 on 10/8/2007 8:39:25 AM , Rating: 2
Seriously would this being transparent have any effect on radar waves making the jets more stealthy?


RE: Revolutionary...
By timmiser on 10/8/2007 6:13:13 PM , Rating: 2
Well, glass is transparent but it reflects radar until the cows come home.


RE: Revolutionary...
By Ryanman on 10/6/2007 8:22:51 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
If this material is as strong as is claimed, can be manufactured in sufficient amounts, and can be molded like plastics or welded like a metal


Yeah, and therin lies the problem I doubt any of that is going to happen any time soon. People always overestimate these scientific advancements. Like the vast majority of them, I'm sure this will be discovered to have little to no practical application. Kinda like bluetooth : D


RE: Revolutionary...
By BoyBawang on 10/5/2007 7:15:26 PM , Rating: 5
that would be perfect Screen Protector for my Pocket and Tablet PCs. Even if I use knife as stylus :)


RE: Revolutionary...
By cheetah2k on 10/5/2007 11:07:15 PM , Rating: 5
When they refer to "As strong as steel" I would consider that mode of strength is refering to the "Tension" properties of the material.

It is obvious from the photos, the material is highly flexible, thus bearing no bending strength (unless coupled with other substrates), and I would suggest that a knife or guillotine would slice thru the material quite easily.

Thinking along these lines, I would therefore consider this material's ideal purpose would be to replace carbon fibre and fibre glass composite material technology in Aerospace applications like fueslage/wing materials in the latest Airbus A380's and Boeing 787 dreamliners where high strength, flexibility and low fatigue material properties are required.

My 2 cents


RE: Revolutionary...
By Exirtis on 10/6/2007 3:55:35 AM , Rating: 5
quote:
It is obvious from the photos, the material is highly flexible, thus bearing no bending strength (unless coupled with other substrates), and I would suggest that a knife or guillotine would slice thru the material quite easily.

Note necessarily. The material's flexibility appears to be largly based upon its thinness (valid comparisons are tin foil and steel wool vs. greater quantities of the same material) and, were it thicker, it might very well have rigidity comparable to steel. This is likelihood is also supported by the summary:

quote:
Researcher Nicolas Kotov considered dubbing the material “Plastic Steel” but decided the material was not pliable enough for the moniker.

It's simply that when you have that sort of a ratio of dimension/surface-area to thickness, you almost always end up with very flexible object.


RE: Revolutionary...
By Exirtis on 10/6/2007 3:59:03 AM , Rating: 2
Hmmm, I should've proofread more carefully before posting or perhaps I just shouldn't post this late... probably both.

My apologies for typos/errors.


RE: Revolutionary...
By cheetah2k on 10/7/2007 9:32:51 PM , Rating: 2
Obviously as the "I" values of the material increase (section area properties) you will have a more rigid material.

However, as shown in the photos, the material behaviour in its current form is similar to that of glass fibre found in most high strength composite materials.

I would be interested to know its weight properties for various thicknesses per m2, and how it behaves in shear.


RE: Revolutionary...
By spluurfg on 10/6/2007 5:06:11 AM , Rating: 2
It seems extremely malleable and ductile... though as stated it might be due to its thinness. I wonder what they mean by 'strong'... tensile strength/hardness? In many ways such a material could have an advantage versus steel or especially aluminum, as if it isn't brittle, it won't crack but instead simply warp. But then again, in some cases you don't want things to warp. Depends on the application, I suppose, but it certainly sounds neat.


RE: Revolutionary...
By Captain Orgazmo on 10/7/2007 6:00:21 AM , Rating: 2
This wouldn't need to replace carbon fibre, because carbon fibre is already considerably stronger than steel (by weight). It would replace glass, polycarbonate (Lexan), polymethylmethacrylate (Plexi-Glass), and other weaker transparent polymers.

As far as the comments about costs, I though that goes without saying. Also if this can be mass produced, cost will fall as processes evolve and become more efficient, just like with any material.


RE: Revolutionary...
By MonkeyPaw on 10/6/2007 12:30:02 AM , Rating: 5
I can't wait for this technology to find its way into drinking straws. No longer will we have to worry about cracking the straw while trying to remove that pesky paper wrapper.


RE: Revolutionary...
By cheetah2k on 10/7/2007 9:23:47 PM , Rating: 2
That would mean we would have to sell the technology to China where all the straws in the world are made?

I dont think so Batman!


RE: Revolutionary...
By Polynikes on 10/7/2007 12:31:31 PM , Rating: 2
I was thinking more along the lines of using it as a substitute for steel (or other metals) to save weight, like in the chassis or body panels of a car. Imagine what amazing performance you could get out of cars whose formerly metal parts now weigh a fraction of the previous weight. Too bad this stuff probably isn't as heat-resistant as steel, as you could use it in the engine, too.


RE: Revolutionary...
By Captain Orgazmo on 10/7/2007 2:53:08 PM , Rating: 2
2 words: carbon fibre


so how strong is it, exactly?
By Fenixgoon on 10/5/2007 6:0