Using Liquid to Make Materials More Stretchable Not Softer

Imagine if adding liquid could make a material more stretchable without making it softer. Well, a team managed to do so by using a liquid called "ionic liquid." Watch this video to learn more.

“We’ve created a class of materials that we’ve termed glassy gels, which are as hard as glassy polymers, but – if you apply enough force – can stretch up to five times their original length, rather than breaking,” says Michael Dickey , corresponding author of a paper on the work and the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State University. “What’s more, once the material has been stretched, you can get it to return to its original shape by applying heat. In addition, the surface of the glassy gels is highly adhesive, which is unusual for hard materials.”