 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
 by Staff Writers Raleigh NC (SPX) Oct 15, 2019
New research from North Carolina State University shows that unique materials with distinct properties akin to those of gecko feet - the ability to stick to just about any surface - can be created by harnessing liquid-driven chaos to produce soft polymer microparticles with hierarchical branching on the micro- and nanoscale. The findings, described in the journal Nature Materials, hold the potential for advances in gels, pastes, foods, nonwovens and coatings, among other formulations. The soft dendritic particle materials with unique adhesive and structure-building properties can be created from a variety of polymers precipitated from solutions under special conditions, says Orlin Velev, S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State and corresponding author of the paper. "We use 'liquid' nanomanufacturing to convert most polymers into branched particles after dissolving the polymer and mixing the solution rapidly with another liquid," he said. "This rapid mixing in turbulent flow creates branched particles organized in a hierarchical way." The thinnest branches surrounding these particles form a corona of nanofibers, Velev added, that distributes their stickiness by molecular forces of attraction known as van der Waals forces. The new material is unique not only in its structure, but also in the way it is fabricated. "The use of turbulent flow is ordinarily not known as a way to fabricate organized structures," Velev said. "Here, we are using this inherently chaotic process to create hierarchical structures." The liquid process used to create these materials works with many types of polymers and is generally efficient and inexpensive. Velev added that the fabrication process can be easily scaled up to produce large amounts of the soft nanomaterial, which is often a challenge for making materials at the micro- and nanoscale. Future research in Velev's lab will seek to detail the fundamentals behind this surprising finding. Research will also examine the different types of polymer and biopolymer materials that can be created using the process, including coatings and sheets that attract or repel water, for example, or cell scaffolds and 3-D printing pastes. NC State has filed a patent on the new soft dendritic materials and the process for creating them. "This work is an illustration of how fundamental and applied science can work synergistically," said Simeon Stoyanov, a research collaborator and co-author of the paper. "We started with fundamental scientific findings and while investigating them we found many new applications such as super-adhesives and coatings, which in turn brought new fundamental questions regarding their properties."
Research Report: "Soft dendritic microparticles with unusual adhesion and structuring properties"
German chemical industry sketches costly carbon-neutral path Frankfurt Am Main (AFP) Oct 9, 2019 The industry federation of Germany's powerful chemical sector said Wednesday companies could achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but at a massive cost in financial and energy terms. A study showed reaching net zero output of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by mid-century would cost 45 billion euros ($49.4 billion) in additional investment, said the VCI group, which brings together giants like BASF and Lanxess with hundreds of smaller firms. "The necessary CO2-free processes to produce basic c ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
