Good Thinking

New type of silicone exhibits both viscous and elastic properties

New type of silicone exhibits both viscous and elastic properties
Prof. Lou Bloomfield, with a couple of samples of Vistik
Prof. Lou Bloomfield, with a couple of samples of Vistik
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Lou Bloomfield in his lab, working with Vistik
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Lou Bloomfield in his lab, working with Vistik
Prof. Lou Bloomfield, with a couple of samples of Vistik
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Prof. Lou Bloomfield, with a couple of samples of Vistik

Looking for a more effective solution to the all-too-common wobbly table dilemma than a folded up bit of cardboard or piece of rubber under the leg, University of Virginia physicist Lou Bloomfield created a new type of silicone rubber called Vistik – it's malleable enough to take on any shape when pressed, but is still resilient enough to offer support, as it gradually starts to return to its original shape as the pressure is released. The material could have many applications ... beyond just steadying up wobbly tables.

Vistik is a viscoelastic material, meaning that it exhibits both viscous and elastic properties. As a result, when compared to something such as conventional silicone rubber, there’s a considerable time lag in its response to continuous pressure.

“It seems elastic in response to sudden forces or impacts, denting in proportion to the sudden, brief stress and then returning almost instantly to its earlier shape when that stress is removed,” Prof. Bloomfield explained to us. “But if you push on it for a long time (most of a second or more), it relaxes. It adapts to its new shape and begins to like it (temporarily). When you release the stress after the Vistik has adapted, it's slow to go back to its earlier shape. In fact, if you try to pull it back suddenly to that earlier shape, it will fight.”

Lou Bloomfield in his lab, working with Vistik
Lou Bloomfield in his lab, working with Vistik

The material is chemically inert, tolerates a wide range of temperatures, plus its malleability and elasticity can be adjusted by tweaking its formulation. It can become soft enough to take on the texture of a user’s fingerprint ridges, while remaining sufficiently elastic to bounce like a rubber ball.

Among its various potential applications, Bloomfield thinks Vistik might be particularly well-suited to things like shoe insoles. “When you step on such an insole, it will custom-fit to your foot by adapting out of the way of the various bumps that press especially hard on the un-adapted insole,” he said. “That adapting process will be complete after a few seconds, and then the insole will be firm and supportive as you walk or run. The short timescales of walking and running don't allow the insole time to re-adapt, so it acts as though it were forever form-fitted to your foot. When you take off your shoe, however, the insole will gradually return to its original as-manufactured shape.”

Vistik might also find use as a means of creating a firm yet temporary custom fit on the user contact points of canes, crutches, prostheses, or even golf club handles. Additionally, because strips of the material cling to one another like Velcro (yet can also be easily pulled apart), it could be used as a resealable adhesive for packaging, or as an alternative to the ziplock feature on plastic bags.

“The stuff is just different, it's like nothing else,” said Bloomfield. “Companies now studying it for commercial use are finding that they can't really use conventional tests and tools ... most of the conventional measures of rubber and similar elastic materials are time-independent tests and they aren't suited to Vistik.”

Prof. Bloomfield demonstrates the material in the video below.

Source: University of Virginia

The Invention of Vistik

6 comments
6 comments
MarcC
Properties (inc colour) seem very similar to 3DO material http://www.d3o.com/partner/d3o-products/
Mutley
Also similar to Sugru http://sugru.com/
MarylandUSA
So it's thixotropic? thixotropic gels have been used before, in bicycle seats. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thixotropic
EZ
Geese, I think I saw that movie. Yes! It was Fred Mac Murray in the starring role and he drove a funny car!
Matt Bednar
I manage the intellectual property associated with Vistik for The University of Virginia. If you are interested in developing this material for a particular application please contact me to discuss. Thanks Matt Bednar, PhD. UVA Licensing & Ventures Group mbednar@virginia.edu, 434-982-1615
Spriscilla the Queen of the Ocean
Virginia Tech is not the only group that is working on Memory materials. There is a long list of memory foams already available on the market. Having researched D30, Impact Gel and so on I really felt like I was going to be the first to get a 'memory gel'. Just be sure to keep the Propitiatory ingredient was invented by the company that was making the mixture for the gel. I hypothesised that the only way to make a buck out of something like this these days is to never patent it and keep it a very big secret before releasing it otherwise someone else will make a better version of it. Suppose so.