Materials

Elastomers

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Briefs: Materials
A silicone membrane for wearable devices is more comfortable and breathable thanks to better-sized pores made with the help of citric acid crystals. The new preparation technique fabricates thin, silicone-based patches that rapidly wick water away from the skin. The technique could reduce the redness and itching caused by wearable biosensors that trap sweat beneath them. Read on to learn more.
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Articles: Design
Meet Dow Silicones Belgium SRL’s Anne-Marie Vincent, Sustainable Technology Finalist. Her project focuses on commercializing silica upcycled from rice husk to address these needs.
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Briefs: Materials
The RTV sealing method may benefit terrestrial applications that may demand cure-in-place internal seals. The method could also innovate manufacturing processes for components by enhancing the speed of assembly while increasing seal integrity. Read on to learn more.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Eva Baur, a Ph.D. student, used 3D-printed double network granular elastomers (DNGEs) to print a prototype ‘finger,’ complete with rigid ‘bones’ surrounded by flexible ‘flesh.’ The finger was printed to deform in a pre-defined way, demonstrating the technology’s potential to manufacture devices that are sufficiently supple to bend and stretch, while remaining firm enough to manipulate objects. Read on to learn more.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Dr. Song Kahye along with Professor Lee, Dae-Young have jointly developed a soft gripper with a woven structure that can grip objects weighing more than 100 kg with 130 g of material. To increase the loading capacity of the soft robot gripper, the team applied a new structure inspired by textiles.
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5 Ws: Materials
A team of researchers at Cornell Engineering has developed a soft robot that can detect when and where it was damaged — and then heal itself on the spot.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The respirator earned a 100 percent success rate for fit testing.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Researchers designed a new type of soft robotic gripper that uses a collection of thin tentacles to entangle and ensnare objects.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Researchers have developed electronic skin (e-skin) that is applied directly on top of real skin. Made from soft, flexible rubber, it can be embedded with sensors that monitor...
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Briefs: Wearables
Elastic polymers, known as elastomers, can be stretched and released repeatedly and are used in applications such as gloves and heart valves, where they need to last a long time without tearing. But...
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Briefs: Green Design & Manufacturing
The sustainable material offers a zero-waste solution to boost recycling and support the circular economy.
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5 Ws: Electronics & Computers
Imagine a tablet or Kindle that can display braille on command for the visually impaired.
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Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
A 3D-printable elastomer yields soft, elastic objects that feel like human tissue.
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Briefs: Materials
An optimized flash process could reduce carbon emissions.
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Briefs: Automotive
These elastomers have a wide range of uses for the building, automotive, and electronics industries.
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Briefs: Materials
Biobots based on muscle cells can swim at unprecedented velocities.
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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
An electrically driven soft valve paves the way for fully soft robots.
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Articles: Aerospace
Thanos Yiagopoulos, Chief Technology Officer of Momentive Performance Materials, discusses how engineers can determine the best product for their application.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
The inexpensive, convenient devices can measure exposure to a class of chemicals that can be harmful during pregnancy.
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Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
A connection between electricity and mechanical motion in soft, rubber-like materials could improve robot range.
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Briefs: Aerospace
Applications include anti-fouling and anti-contamination, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag reduction, and adhesive joining of composite parts.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The organic composite material is soft, stretchable, and has good thermoelectric properties for many wearable applications.
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Briefs: Medical
A flexible device worn on the wrist harvests heat energy from the human body to monitor health.
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Briefs: Aerospace
Microspheres are used in wind tunnel experiments to monitor airflow, to stain biological samples, and in time-delayed drug release.
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Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Highly purified, low-outgassing silicones prevent material degradation in satellites and space vehicles.
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Briefs: Materials
This material could be used for artificial muscles that power bio-inspired robots.
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5 Ws: Materials
MIT researchers are developing a shoe coating that provides a stronger grip on ice and other slippery surfaces.
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Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
This technology can help robots walk up to 40 percent faster on uneven terrain such as pebbles and wood chips.
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Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
This technology shows potential for the detection of subtle human motions and the real-time monitoring of body postures for healthcare applications.
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