retroremakes
January 22nd, 2010, 01:05
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/500x_clay_hydrogel-thumb-640xauto-11539.jpg (http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/clay_hydrogel-thumb-640xauto-11539.jpg)Plastic polymers are efficient, cheap and easy to make—but not very environmentally friendly. Hydrogels had previously not been really considered a viable alternative, because they're, well, gels. But by attaching them to clay, that's all changed.
Turns out the water-based (duh) hydrogels had a great affinity for attaching to glass, so researchers tested out its relationship with something fairly similar: Clay. And lo and behold, it sticks! That gives it a bunch of properties that make it a possible alternative to plastics:
This notably improved mechanical properties over other hydrogels, as it could be molded into shapes that are free-standing and relatively robust and would undergo self-healing when cut. Less than 0.4 percent of it is petroleum-derived, so improved versions may provide an appealing green alternative to polymers. The best aspect, however, may be its simplicity: all you need are three ingredients, a beaker of water, and something to stir with.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether these new hydrogels actually take off as a plastic replacement, but it looks like now they might have a fighting chance. [Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/01/clay-based-hydrogels-could-be-green-alternative-to-polymers.ars)]
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/dMzzIagawEk
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dMzzIagawEk/clay+-and-water+based-hydrogels-possible-alternative-to-plastic)
Turns out the water-based (duh) hydrogels had a great affinity for attaching to glass, so researchers tested out its relationship with something fairly similar: Clay. And lo and behold, it sticks! That gives it a bunch of properties that make it a possible alternative to plastics:
This notably improved mechanical properties over other hydrogels, as it could be molded into shapes that are free-standing and relatively robust and would undergo self-healing when cut. Less than 0.4 percent of it is petroleum-derived, so improved versions may provide an appealing green alternative to polymers. The best aspect, however, may be its simplicity: all you need are three ingredients, a beaker of water, and something to stir with.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether these new hydrogels actually take off as a plastic replacement, but it looks like now they might have a fighting chance. [Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2010/01/clay-based-hydrogels-could-be-green-alternative-to-polymers.ars)]
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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/dMzzIagawEk
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/dMzzIagawEk/clay+-and-water+based-hydrogels-possible-alternative-to-plastic)