A new recipe, or design guidelines, for a self-strengthening muscle-like hydrogel has been developed through strategic integration of computational, information, and experimental research. The ...

A double network hydrogel being stretched to different lengths. The necked region of the hydrogel indicates rupture of the first polymer network (Photo: WPI-ICReDD). New double network hydrogel ...

Scientists have found a nanoparticle-inspired solution to the age-old strength issue of polymer glasses. Seasoning the polymer glass recipe with single-chain nanoparticles, which are tiny, folded-up ...

ORNL researchers found a way to double the tensile strength of carbon-fiber composites by reinforcing the material with a thin layer of PAN nanofibers. A human hair is approximately 100 times wider ...

The sources of natural polymers can be plant-based, animal-based, and marine-derived. For instance, plant-based polymers like cellulose are widely used in paper and textile industries for their ...