Page 47 - Plastics News March 2022

TECHNOLOGY

Researcher Develop New Material Forstronger, Lighter and Safer Helmets

ing weight with high energy-absorbing
liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), which
have been used mainly in actuators and
robotics. During experiments to test the
material's ability to withstand impact,
it held up against strikes from objects
weighting about four to 15 pounds,
coming at speeds of up to about 22
miles per hour. The tests were limited to
22 miles per hour due to limits of the
testing machines, but the team is con-
fident the padding could safely absorb
even greater impacts. Kang and his team
are exploring a collaboration with a hel-
met company to design, fabricate, and
test next-generation helmets for athletes
team of researchers, lead by Prof material offers more protection from a and the military. The results appeared
A Dr Sung Hoon Kang at the Hop- wide range of impacts, but being lighter in the journal Advanced Materials. The
kins Extreme Materials Institute, USA, could reduce fuel consumption and the Johns Hopkins research team also in-
have created shock-absorbing material environmental impact of vehicles while cluded: Lichen Fang, a former graduate
that protects like a metal, but is lighter, being more comfortable for protective student; Thao (Vicky) Nguyen, a profes-
stronger, reusable. The new foam-like gear wearers."Kang, who is also a fel- sor of mechanical engineering; Beijun
material could be a game-changer for low at the Hopkins Extreme Materials Shen, a graduate student; Seung-Yeol
helmets, body armor, and automo- Institute, wanted to create a material Jeon, a former postdoctoral researcher
bile and aerospace parts one the best even more energy-absorbing than cur- at the Hopkins Extreme Materials In-
thing to happen in engineering.We are rent car bumpers and helmet padding. stitute; and Zeyu Zhu, a former gradu-
excited about our findings on the ex- He noticed the typical materials used ate student; and Nicholas A. Traugutt,
treme energy absorption capability of for these critical protective devices don't and Christopher M. Yakacki, both of
the new material," said senior author perform well at higher speeds and of- the University of Colorado Denver.
Sung Hoon Kang, an assistant profes- ten aren't reusable.The research team
sor of mechanical engineering. "The was able to add strength while reduc-

Scientists Develop Self-Powered Wearable Device from Recycled Plastics
versity of Surrey. Scientists Dr Bhaskar net. However, the current internet-of-
Dudem and his team at University things (IoT) revolution highlights the
of Surrey have unveiled a wrist device simple fact that our planet doesn't have
made from discarded paper wipes and the raw resources to continue to make
plastic cups that runs on energy harvest- these devices which are in such high de-
ed by the wearer's movements. The pro- mand. "Our research demonstrates that
totype device can transmit Morse code, there is a path to creating sustainable
and the team is now focusing on plans technology that runs on electricity pow-
to use this technology in smart watches. ered by us, the users of that technology."
Dr Bhaskar Dudem, project lead and Surrey's device is 'self-powered' thanks
earable devices could soon be Research Fellow at the University of to materials that become electrically
Wentirely made of recycled waste Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute charged after they come into contact
materials -- and powered by human (ATI), said:"It won't be long until we with one another.
movement, thanks to a new energy- have to ask ourselves which of the items
harvesting device developed at the Uni- we own are not connected to the inter-

47 PLASTICS NEWS March 2022