Slashdot Mirror
Smart Rubber Promises Self-Mending Products
An anonymous reader writes "French scientists have developed a new rubber that can heal itself after being cut or broken. If two broken ends of the material are pushed together, and left for an hour, they join to become just as stretchy as before. There is even a video of the supposed creation in action. 'Regular rubber gets its strength from the fact that long chains of polymer molecules are coupled, or "crosslinked," in three different ways: through covalent, ionic, and hydrogen bonding between molecules. Of these three bond types, only the hydrogen bonds can be remade once a material is fractured, although normally there are not enough hydrogen bonds for the rubber to re-couple in this way. The solution devised by Leibler and colleagues is to simply get rid of the ionic and covalent bonds. They developed a transparent, yellowy-brown rubber in which crosslinking is performed only by hydrogen bonds.'"
Wouldn't removing the other two types of bonds make it naturally more likely to break to begin with? My chem background isnt great, maybe someone could break it down for me.
I can finally join the green revolution by reusing all those busted condoms from my over zealous love making sessions.
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask where they're goin' and hook up with 'em later.
because if you watch the video they double the speed of the post-healing stretch, and it's still _really_ slow. With only the video to go on, it seems like this could just as easily be some silly putty or elmers glue + liquid starch.
Of course, if it's true that you can create self-healing rubber by removing the ionic and covalent bonds, leaving only the hydrogen bonds, my next question is obvious:
How many times can this material "heal" itself before suffering internal structure deficiencies?
If it could mend itself an infinite number of times and retain perfect structural integrity, that would truly be a modern miracle of science with untold practical applications.
Can you say self-mending tires, shoe soles, etc?
-WtC
*sig inserted by hand to frustrate sig purists*
Creator of RPerl, Scouter, Juggler, Mormon, Perl Monger, Serial Entrepreneur, Aspiring Astrophysicist, Community Organiz
You've been misinformed. You don't need a condom for masturbation.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Cindy, my air-filled life companion, will be relieved to hear of this development.
We have been plagued by punctures and tears for years. Neither of us have been satisfied with the make-do fix of duct tape and latex.
Thank you, science!
"The fight for freedom has only just begun." - Geert Wilders
I don't think I can think about baseball for an hour while it repairs itself though...
-Rick
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
This time so-called "scientific progress" has gone too far. This shameless disregard for ionic and covalent bonds is unnatural and degrading to us all. Ionic and covalent bonds play a crucial role in vital processes of nature. They are found everywhere, from humble table salt, to the very carbon rings that are the basis of all life.
And now arrogant man sees fit to sacrifice these noble bonds for what, I ask? For a "self-healing rubber" of all things? This is a travesty. I hope all people who love and cherish our universe and the laws of nature will boycott this abominable substance.
Bond, Hydrogen Bond.
So many condom jokes, so little actual sex...
There's some way to incorporate this material into roadways that don't develop potholes. You're tired of paying for them--in wear and tear on your car and in taxes.
-1 not first post
You would need to put some sort of skin over this to keep it from self-reparing in ways it wasn't meant to. If you accidently fold a sheet of this stuff it would adhere to itself. And you though trying to work with plastic wrap without getting it all stuck together was hard.
I bet it would be fun to sculpt with. Cut bits off, stick them back in in other places.. would be a really strange medium to work in.
Or the ultimate version of those pads to stick your cell phone to your dashboard. Except now it will NEVER come off until you slice it off with a razor.
I know you are joking but just to be clear, using oil based lubricants and/or using multiple condoms will increase the risk of condoms breaking during sex.