Polymer

Chronic diabetic skin wounds are notoriously slow to heal, sometimes becoming so infected that amputations are required. A newly identified polymer could help keep that from happening, by radically boosting the healing process.

Along with their use in foods, soybeans have also been utilized as a source of graphene, a greener alternative to mulch, and an ingredient in longer-lasting tires. Now, they're additionally being used to extend the life of asphalt roads.

Plastics can be hard, plastics can be soft, but can plastics be both at the same time? Scientists have been exploring this question and produced a first-of-a-kind material that is pliable in some sections and stiff in others.

Although there are now a number of skin-worn sensors which identify metabolites in sweat, the technology is limited in what it can detect, plus the sensors often aren't reusable. A new one, however, utilizes a "molecularly imprinted polymer" to be much more useful.

In wastewater produced by the textile industry and others, dye is one of the primary pollutants. A newly developed synthetic polymer is capable of removing that dye from the water, plus it can be cleaned up and reused to treat more wastewater.

While medical electrodes are vital to the monitoring of electrical activity in the body, they're rigid and costly, plus they don't stay on well if the wearer is moving. A new sugar-cube-derived electrode, however, addresses those shortcomings.

Finding a scratch on your car is a special kind of heartbreak, but in the future they might be gone before you even notice. Scientists in Korea have developed a coating that self-heals scratches in as little as 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.

Construction is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Flinders University researchers have now developed a polymer made out of industrial waste that can be formed into building bricks that bond together without needing any mortar.

Industrial piping has a hard life, as it's constantly exposed to liquids that can damage its inner surface over time. A new polymer coating could help protect such pipes, while removing toxic metals from the liquids as it does so.

When it comes to plant-based materials, many people may picture something that's "green" but not very robust. Such is not the case with a new MIT-designed composite, however, which is claimed to be as hard as aluminum and as tough as bone.

Engineers at MIT have developed a new ultrathin material as light as plastic but stronger than steel. The durable material could be used in vehicles or electronics, and makes use of a manufacturing technique that was previously thought impossible.

Although carbon fiber can be repaired and recycled to a certain extent, it's typically just discarded once damaged. According to a recent study, however, a new type of the material can be easily fixed or reused through the simple application of heat.