January 3, 2018 - A novel approach that creates a renewable, leathery material鈥攑rogrammed to remember its shape鈥攎ay offer a low-cost alternative to conventional conductors for applications in sensors and robotics. To make the bio-based, shape-memory material, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists streamlined a solvent-free process that mixes rubber with lignin鈥攖he by-product of woody plants used to make biofuels.
They fashioned the leathery material into small strips and brushed on a thin layer of silver nanoparticles to activate electrical conductivity.
The strips were stretched or curled and then frozen as part of the process to program the material to return to its intended shape, which occurs after the application of low heat. 鈥淭he performance of this polymer can be tuned further,鈥� said ORNL鈥檚 Amit Naskar. 鈥淰ariant lignins can be used at different ratios, which determines the material鈥檚 pliability.鈥� ORNL in Macromolecules.
