Strong Water-based Material Developed

Copyright University of Tokyo

Japanese researchers led by Professor Takuzo Aida of School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, announced on January 21, 2010, that they had successfully developed a strong, transparent hydrogel. Supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), the research was conducted as a directed basic research program to achieve national policy objectives.

The new hydrogel is composed of water (more than 95 percent), clay, a mineral used for cosmetics and toothpaste (2 to 5 percent), and organic high polymer (less than 0.4 percent). Simply by being mixed together, these ingredients form a gel quickly in three minutes.

The new material has 0.5 mega-pascal strength, comparable to that of silicone rubber. It can retain its shape, degrades easily and can be easily discharged from human body. It can also be molded into a desired shape and completely returns to its original shape when cut and immediately put back together again.

There are heightened expectations for use of this new material, composed mainly of water, as an environmentally-friendly material in a variety of fields.

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) official website
http://www.jst.go.jp/EN/

Posted: 2010/10/08 06:00:15 AM