Polymer

We've already heard about implantable materials with a scaffolding-like microstructure, that help heal broken bones by giving bone cells a place to migrate into. A new one could work even better, though, by also providing electrical stimulation.

When it comes to replacing faulty heart valves, there are two options – a metallic valve, or a biological one obtained from a pig or cow. There could soon be a third and perhaps better choice, though, in the form of a polymer replacement heart valve.

Chitin derived from shrimps, mushrooms, and other organisms may lead to new 3D-printed, multi-layered polymer coatings to protect soldiers against bullets, lasers, toxic gases, microbes, and other hazards.

As readers who live in cold climates will likely already know, winter is not kind to concrete. That could be about to change, though, thanks to a polymer additive that mimics natural antifreeze.

Found in crustacean shells, chitin is a useful natural polymer. Now, scientists have developed a fruit waste-based fermentation process for getting it out of those shells – and the technique results in better-quality chitin, to boot.

Once discarded, spongy polyurethane foam typically just ends up in landfills, where it takes up a lot of space. Thanks to a newly-developed process, however, it could soon be recycled into higher-quality rubbers and hard plastics.

With gold, beauty and weight are two sides of the same coin. Now, by mixing it with plastic instead of other metals, researchers have created a new form of gold with as little as one-10th the usual weight, but retaining the same purity.

In a quest for safer lithium-ion batteries, a team of engineers at the University of Illinois have come up with a solid polymer-based electrolyte that can not only heal itself but is recyclable without the need for high temperatures or strong acids.

While it's good that there are plastics which biodegrade, the glue used to join pieces of those or other materials together isn't as eco-friendly. Scientists have set about addressing that problem, however, by developing a biodegradable adhesive.

For a person with diabetes, monitoring blood glucose levels is an everyday hassle, usually involving finger pricks. A new prototype glucose monitor has been designed to power itself from that same glucose in bodily fluids.

Hokkaido University’s ongoing research into hydrogels has borne fresh fruit: a new polymer-based material that, unlike other polymers, hardens when heated – by 1,800 times.

Helmets could soon offer better protection while also being more comfortable, thanks to a new padding material developed by HRL Laboratories. It's claimed to be better than foam at withstanding impacts, while also keeping heads cooler and drier.