A new material created at the University of Waterloo can switch back and forth between a hard solid or a soft gel at the same temperature, a breakthrough that offers an innovative solution to a long-standing challenge with synthetic materials by giving it both strength and shape adaptability.
A new material created at the University of Waterloo can switch back and forth between a hard solid or a soft gel at the same temperature, a breakthrough that offers an innovative solution to a long-standing challenge with synthetic materials by giving it both strength and shape adaptability.
The two overlapping states of sal-gel, as researchers call it, pave the way for its use as a smart material in a range of technologies including soft robotics, adhesion and adhesives, and aeronautics.
“It should be particularly effective for applications that require a gentle touch, but a firm grip,” said Aleksander Cholewinski, a PhD student who was co-leader of the research. “It is a two-in-one solid that meets both of those needs.”
Sal-gel was engineered by combining supercooled melted salt with polymers to produce a transparent, stable gel.
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