Imagine being able to wear something that can generate electricity. That’s what some scientists in South Korea have come up with: a material that exploits a polymer with electrically conductive properties known as PEDOT, or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, to build an organic thermoelectric generator (TEG). Because the polymer can be formulated into a flexible, cuttable film, it [...]
Polymers Make Sensitive “Skin”
November 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In the near future, historians may credit Stanford University scientists with developing the first artificial skin with polymers that can sense pressure and heal itself. The material may be ideal for prosthetics. And — who could be certain to say otherwise — a cyborg. Over the past 10 years or so, there have been major [...]
Polymers Adding to High-Tech Lighting
October 15, 2012 By 1 Comment
The light bulb industry is evolving, going high-tech, some would say. And polymers are pushing the trend along. We’re all familiar with the tried-and-true incandescent bulb, the one that Thomas Edison came up with. It has been our faithful, illuminating companion for 130 years. Trouble is, it is also power-hungry, inefficient, short-lived, and fragile, reports [...]
Porous Polymer Creates Elastic Medical Devices
July 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Scientists at Northwestern University are discovering how porous polymers mixed with liquid metals are giving medical monitoring devices unprecedented elasticity so that they can be more easily integrated into the human body. People with chronic medical conditions that require constant monitoring frequently have to visit doctors or hospitals. Current medical devices that conduct that monitoring [...]
Light-Absorbing Polymers Destroy Cancer Cells
June 26, 2012 By 3 Comments
Chinese researchers have discovered a way to use nanoparticles made from conductive polymers to destroy cancer cells. Called photothermal therapy, the technique can kill cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue. Other research has produced similar results but those results come from using inorganic nanomaterials, such as gold nanostructures, carbon nanotubes, and copper sulfide nanoparticles [...]
Demand Grows for Conductive Polymers
April 16, 2012 By 2 Comments
The market for conductive polymers is expected to grow by almost 11% a year until 2017, reaching a market of $1.6 billion, according to a market research company. The growing demand for high-performance, lightweight, and inexpensive products is driving the growth and potential for conductive polymers, reports Virtual-Strategy Magazine. Their dimensional stability, flexibility, and high [...]
A Better Understanding of Polymer Electrolytes
July 1, 2011 By 2 Comments
Nafion ©, which was discovered at DuPont in the 1960s, is a polymer membrane that conducts ions and water through its nanostructure. This property makes the material important for a number of industrial energy applications, such as fuel cells, organic batteries, and reverse-osmosis water purification. But the material, which is a polymer electrolyte, has also [...]
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Buys Chemical Company Lubrizol
March 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Warren Buffett, also known as the Oracle of Omaha, has calmed his itchy trigger finger by shooting at Lubrizol. The chemical company that specializes in lubricants, polymers, and plastics is in for a $9.7-billion acquisition by Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway. In 2010, Lubrizol earned approximately $750 million on $5.4 million in sales. Much has been made of Lubrizol’s dominant [...]
