Super-Light Plastic As Strong as Steel

Roland Piquepaille writes "A new composite plastic built layer by layer has been created by engineers at the University of Michigan. This plastic is as strong as steel. It has been built the same way as mother-of-pearl, and shows similar strength. Interestingly, this 300-layer plastic has been built with 'strong' nanosheets of clay and a 'fragile' polymer called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), commonly used in paints and glue, which acts as 'Velcro' to envelop the nanoparticles. This new plastic could soon be used to design light but strong armors for soldiers or police officers. The researchers also think this material could be used in biomedical sensors and unmanned aircraft."

Comments

Re:Link with pics

[debilo]

When i saw the title i imagined something more like bulletproof glass, but, as you can see, it's pretty thin.

Thanks for the link. I wonder if this could be used as a scratch-resistant coating for sensitive surfaces. I'm thinking of my iPod and my mobile phone. Or even the windshield, loose chippings can be so annoying.

Re:Link with pics

[foniksonik]

How about using an Inkjet method? You could get a good compromise between speed and flexible composition... or even with the roll-to-roll method they could use something like an ink plate to deposit just where they want the liquid to bind.... lots of good engineering research to be done there as well.

Re:Light cars = safer and more fuel efficient, rig

[geekinaseat]

Feel free to correct me on any of this as maybe it is a preconception about plastics but.... I'm pretty glad cars aren't made of this stuff as it seems it would be a lot less recyclable than using a metal, give it fifty years and we would have landfills full of the stuff.