University of Rochester scientists create 'super polymer' that can lift 1,000 times its mass

[Recursion]

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/02/11/university-rochester-scientists-create-super-polymer-that-can-lift-1000-times-its-mass.html

Scientists at the University of Rochester have created a new type of ‘super polymer’ that could prove an extremely useful technology in the healthcare and clothing industries.

The material, which can lift 1,000 times its own mass, was developed by a research team led by Chemical Engineering Professor Mitch Anthamatten. In a press release the university explained that the material can be programmed to retain a temporary shape until is triggered – typically by heat – to return to its original shape.

“Tuning the trigger temperature is only one part of the story,” said Anthamatten. “We also engineered these materials to store large amount of elastic energy, enabling them to perform more mechanical work during their shape recovery.”

Potential uses of the technology include medical sutures, artificial skin, body-heat assisted medical dispensers and self-fitting apparel, according to the university.

Very cool.

[RKP5637]

1. Yep, definitely Very Cool!!! n/t

[3catwoman3]

2. Kudos to my...

...alma mater (School of Nursing 1973).

[Matthew28]

3. Science is so cool and has improved all of our lives in awesome ways all the time!

[xocet]

4. The paper is on the Wiley site...

Body temperature triggered shape-memory polymers with high elastic energy storage capacity
Yuan Meng, Jisu Jiang, Mitchell Anthamatten

First published: 13 January 2016
DOI: 10.1002/polb.23990


ABSTRACT

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) that respond near body temperature are attracting broad interest, especially in the biomedical fields. In this study, the triggering temperature of poly(caprolactone) SMP networks is precisely adjusted by inclusion of non-crystallizable molecular linkers and by variation of prepolymer molecular weight. Longer, non-crystalline linkers and lower molecular weight prepolymers interfere with crystallization, lowering the transition temperature. Networks are prepared with crystallization temperatures that are beneath the human body temperature and yet are above room temperature. Upon cooling such amorphous networks to room temperature, crystallization is sluggish. There, elastomers can be easily strained by several hundred-percent to induce crystallization, thereby fixing strained states. If subsequently heated, programmed SMPs can release significant amounts of stored strain energy (∼3 MJ/m3). SMPs that combine elastic energy storage and exhibit triggering temperatures near the human body temperature could benefit emerging applications in the biomedical space. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016

...

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/polb.23990/full

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

5. Can the Space Elevator be next?

[phantom power]

6. This is more about strength of contraction, than tensile strength.

Although I recall reading some interesting articles in the 80s about memory materials and applications for space engineering. Bet they would have been excited by a memory material with this kind of contraction strength.