Slashdot Mirror
World's First Practical Plastic Magnet
Stopmotioncleaverman writes "New Scientist is reporting that scientists at the University of Durham in the UK have created the world's first plastic magnet to work at room temperature from two compounds, emeraldine base polyaniline (PANi) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). In 2001, scientists in Nebraska created a plastic magnet, but it only worked at 10 Kelvin.
Most notably from the article - "One of the most likely applications is in the magnetic coating of computer hard discs, which could lead to a new generation of high-capacity discs".
This story is also being reported in lots of other places."
I'm sure the audiophiles will correct me, but is it possible that this could be used to produce seriously high quality audio gear: specifically speakers?
My understanding of speaker technology is that at it's most basic, a cone is held attached in some way to a magnet, which is moved by modulating the intensity of an opposing magnetic field. The movement of the cone produces sound.
If you could build the magnet into the cone, ie make the cone out of magnetic plastic, that would have to eliminate a source of distortion from the reproduction, which would lead to better quality sound.
I see this as a more realistic first application than building platters out of plastic.
What do the audiophiles have to say?
Could this lead to lighter electric motors? Which might make the future of printing products in a personal 3D printer more functional.
Neil is that you? Yeah yeah, it's me... Neil...
This is great. Imagine a house full of items made from this material. Cups, pens, paper pads, tools etc. Just stick them to a table, wall, or door, and they stay put.
I remember not so long ago a news about some researchers that managed to create a conductive plastic; it was a remarkably better conductor than cooper. They were working into making it cheaper for mass production (can't find a link, anyone?).
If these people manage to create powerful magnets for cheap, expect a lot of magnet-based devices (motors, hard disks, generators) to drop prices in the future; powerful ceramic magnets are still very expensive.
I wonder what is its conductivity?
The problem with most magnets and electromagnets is that they are excellent conductors. In some applications this is desired, in many irrelevant, in some very undesired. A neat new way to mount easily replacable chips/cartridges, etc wherever spare metal parts may mean problems...
And a nice property of many polymers is that it's quite common to make transparent derivatives. "glass magnet", interesting idea?
Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
Replacing the copper spools of the electro engine in hydrogen fuelcell engines with light polymers will give fuelcell cars a serious weight advantage over combustion engines with their metal explosive combustion chambers.
:-)
For us Europeans at least, for US American cars the reduced weight would be, what a reduction of 1%, and most likely be meaningless.
--
Dennis SCP
Just imagine what this could do for the bra industry if you could make magnetic breast implants!
Never pet a burning dog.
I found the original article overhyped. It's just a "one sample effect". They need to present a method of producing (even highly inefficiently) ferromagnetic polymers, which works at least most of the time. Right now, they are probably guessing "but how did we do it???".
People were delivering similar reports on "discovery of room temperature superconductivity" in the past. The trouble is, they could not repeat their achievements. They were also from Croatia, which didn't give them that much publicity.
"Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)
I want my plastic railgun, dammit! Where is it?
3D Printing Tips and Tricks at Zheng3.com
It seems like they have identified a new paradigm for creating room temperature magnets--a mixture of an organic conductor and an organic semiconductor. There is undoubtedly some basic science to study to understand the mechanism, and the fact that only a single sample works suggests there will be a learning curve on the fab processes even after the "what is the ideal combination of conductor and semiconductor" type of issues have been dealt with. My favorite organic semiconductor is thiourea--urine plus sulfur...............No, No, don't go there!!!
They could be used in magnetic tyres (the kind that has sensors deducing the way a tyre deflects during breaking by the change in the magnetic field generated by magnetic powder interspersed in the tyre's rubber). Instead of mixing magnetic material with rubber, one could mix these polymers with rubber. Maybe it would work better, I don't know.
"Long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead." (John Maynard Keynes)