Polymers™

When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as  airplane  and  automobile parts  to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in  the 1980s  as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and  patient-specific models  to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...

It’s summertime — have you been able to enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes as you take in the crashing waves? Walking barefoot on the beach can be a freeing feeling — well, that is until you step on a sharp shell! One new innovation, utilizing adhesive technology, aims to allow you the freedom of sand between your toes while simultaneously protecting the soles of your feet: NakeFit. NakeFit  is an adhesive sole that fits on the bottom of your foot and allows you all the advantages of going barefoot without the risks or lack of comfort. We aren’t surprised to see a product like this come to market when we regularly hear about  barefoot running . We do, however, want to explore this neat product concept and tell you a little more about the science behind a product like this! What ARE they? We’ll admit, a lot of what made us ask questions about this product is the strangeness of it. Every other “shoe” (is this even a shoe?) has straps, buckles, ...

Recently our metals lead, Alex, popped into the marketing office with a heaping bowl of ice cream. He brought two spoons along with him too – Was he planning on sharing his delicious ice cream? Unfortunately, he wasn’t – But he did stop in to show us some #CoolScience! As he got a spoon full of ice cream and took a bite, he showed something quite fascinating. The spoon had changed colors from white to blue when coming in contact with the cold ice cream. Our marketing manager stuck the extra spoon in her cup of ice water (which is nowhere near as good as ice cream) and wah-lah a blue spoon! After doing some research, we learned the reason this happens is a process called thermochromism. Thermochromism simply refers to a material that changes color due to temperature change. Remember being fascinated by mood rings when you were younger? They change colors by using body heat. Many companies rely on thermochromism to create products that appear to magically change colors – but ...

Helmets: Something you may have hated with a passion as a child, but your parents made you wear. As adults, one could argue helmet use is pretty divided. If you head down your local bike path or along a neighborhood street, you’ll see a good number of riders not wearing their helmets. Two Virginia Tech students think that’s a problem. Co-founders David Hall and Jordan Klein started  Park & Diamond  and set out to create a safe, compact, and stylish helmet to hopefully convince people to wear them every time they bike. The interest in refining technology to prevent bike related head injuries is  incredibly personal  for the team of innovators, especially for Hall. In 2015 Hall’s younger sister was involved in a bike accident in Philadelphia and remained in a coma for four months. The bicycle crash occurred at the corner of Park Avenue and Diamond Street in Philadelphia—which is reflected in the name of their company. How Helmets Work Just like the...

It’s common to see her racing out the door at lunch time to head to a tennis practice with her team affectionately known as the “Smash Girls.” Watching our CEO maintain health—physical and mental—by slamming fuzzy, fluorescent balls across the tennis court made us wonder about the science of tennis balls. First of all, why are tennis balls fuzzy? The simple answer has to do with the  aerodynamics of the ball . When the bright yellow felt that covers a tennis ball is fluffed up, even slightly, it has an effect on the ball’s speed as it flies through the air and over the net. Not that there are many folks out there who would be able to tell much of a difference when watching the next US Open. After all, when Serena Williams serves a ball at 122 miles per hour, it can be difficult to imagine any amount of fuzz capable of slowing the ball down. The fuzz on the ball can also impact the path of the ball as it soars toward your opponent. You could hit the ball with just the ...

We recently took a close look at  titanium dioxide  (Ti0 2 ).This naturally occurring oxide of titanium is very useful in our everyday lives, appearing in everything from sunscreen and pigments to opacifiers used in a range of industrial applications. What happens, then, when this extremely common substance comes under scrutiny by a well-respected governing body? That’s exactly what is going on. The European Union (EU) has issued an advisory warning on the use of titanium dioxide. This warning comes from its regulatory body that weighs in on such issues, Europe’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC). An “ advisory opinion ” from the RAC could ultimately influence the designation of titanium dioxide and place it on the EU’s list of carcinogens, naming it a category 2 carcinogen. A category 2 carcinogen, according to the  EU , is a substance that studies show may cause cancer in humans and animals but lacks convincing enough evidence to categorize it as a categ...

PMMA Applications: Lucite, dentures, aquarium windows Developed in: 1877 Polymethylmethacrylate is a very versatile polymer. If you ever see a clear plastic block, it's probably PMMA. It was first commercialized in the 1930s in Germany, and is now found anywhere one needs clear, strong material. This includes bulletproof "glass" at your favorite corner liquor store and the huge shark tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But my favorite use of PMMA is in so-called "frozen lightning" or Lichtenberg figure sculpture. Basically, put a chunk of PMMA into an electron accelerator, fire a bunch of electrons into the plastic until it's got about two million volts of charge, then touch the side of the plastic with a bit of wire and watch as bolts of lightning carve tracks inside the clear plastic. Superabsorbers Applications: Diapers Developed in: 1960s Back in the day, diapers were made from cloth. Frequently, those cloth diapers were filled with wads of n...