A team of researchers from Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences(SEAS) has unveiled an innovation that increases the crack resistance of natural rubber tenfold. The breakthrough proposes to preserve long polymer chains during processing, a step that would improve the internal structure of elastic materials.
From tires to soft electronics: the potential of natural rubber
The team led by Zhigang Suo and Guodong Nian developed a low-intensity processing method that avoids breaking polymer chains. Instead of creating dense cross-links as in vulcanization, a spaghetti-like entanglement system that absorbs and distributes stress better is promoted.
[post_relacionado]This new rubber retains its elasticity and durability, while exhibiting much greater resistance to crack growth. In mechanical tests, it was four times more resistant to progressive stretch cracking and ten times more robust overall.
Although it still faces challenges to overcome in large-scale production, mainly due to the evaporation of water in the process, its implementation can be seen in thin products such as gloves, condoms, biomedical devices and components for soft robotics or flexible electronics.
By extending the service life of natural rubber, the need for frequent replacement is reduced and resources are optimized. This is especially relevant in sectors where crack resistance is critical.
Elasticity put to the test with new rubber.
Source: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
The study, supported by the National Science Foundation(NSF) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, was published in the journal Nature Sustainabilityconsolidating the relevance of the finding in the field of materials science.
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Source and photo: Harvard