Error at IBM lab finds new family of materials for the first time in decades #chemistry « Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers!
Sometimes errors can lead to new discoveries! The New York Times has a piece outlining the latest discovery in materials.
…The IBM scientists say that this is the first distinctly new family that has been discovered in several decades.
They said they had not yet named the new family, which they have code-named “Titan” and “Hydro.” The materials are not yet ready for commercial use, but the scientists said they had already begun working with several universities on composite applications that could have a significant impact on manufacturing and fabrication in the fields of transportation, aerospace and microelectronics.
The materials are known as thermosets because they are formed using a heating process. Their strength comes from their three-dimensional network of chemical bonds. The polymers have the rigidity of bones, one of the strongest biological materials, and can be made as much as 50 percent stronger by blending them in composite form with materials like carbon nanotubes. They also tend to perform better than other types of polymers under high temperatures.