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A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5
1 0 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS
NOVEL NANOWIRE MESH
SOOTHES SORE MUSCLES
A new way of creating therapeu-
tic heat for injuries was developed by
Korean scientists from the Center for
Nanoparticle Research, Institute for
Basic Science. Instead of using materi-
als like carbon nanotubes and gold, the
ICY POLYMERS COULD USHER
IN NEW ELECTRONICS ERA
Ice could potentially play a role
in opening a new era in the electron-
ics industry where conducting poly-
mers are in great demand for practi-
cal applications. Chemists at Pohang
University of Science and Technology
(POSTECH), Korea, discovered an inno-
vative method to form 2D polyaniline
(PANI) nanosheets using ice as a hard
template. The product, called PANI-ICE,
is reported to have distinctly outstand-
ing electrical properties of low resis-
tivity and high conductivity. PANI-ICE
nanosheets show electronic current
flows twice as high as that of graphene
and exhibit over 40 times higher con-
ductivity of PANI materials produced by
existing synthetic procedures.
Chemistry professor Moon Jeong
Park and his colleagues developed
an innovative method that effectively
overcomes the disadvantages of ex-
isting approaches. PANI nanosheets
are fabricated on a smooth surface of
deep frozen ice, causing preferential
vertical growth and molecular orienta-
tion of PANI that significantly enhances
its electrical properties. The superior
conductivity of PANI-ICE outperforms
that of any other existing PANI ever
reported. Moreover, the fabricated
nanosheets can be easily transferred to
various types of substrates as they float
on the surface of an ice template. The
nanosheets can be patterned into any
shape when using prearranged masks.
.
A new heating mechanismmade of silver nanowires effectively applies heat to
injuredmuscles.
The Ford Motor Co., Dearborn,
Mich., and DowAksa, Turkey,
signed a joint development agree-
ment to advance research on
cost-effective, high-volume manu-
facturing of automotive-grade car-
bon fiber. The agreement combines
DowAksa’s feedstock capacity,
carbon fiber conversion, and down-
stream intermediates production
capabilities with Ford’s expertise
in design, engineering, and high-
volume manufacturing.
, .
BRIEFS
ThyssenKrupp, Germany, is selling the VDM group to Lindsay Goldberg,
represented in Europe by Lindsay Goldberg Vogel, Düsseldorf. On com-
pletion of the transaction, ThyssenKrupp will achieve a positive effect on
net financial debt and pension obligations in the mid three-digit million
euro range. , .
team took a more utilitarian approach
to their build material, using thin sliv-
ers of silver nanowires. Silver nano­
wires are miniscule, averaging around
150 nm in diameter and 30 μm in length.
The nanowires were blended into a liq-
uid elastic material, which is both soft
and stretchy when dry. To be certain the
material stays tight on the wound area
while heating, a 2D interlocking coil pat-
tern for the mesh structure was created.
To fabricate the mesh, a liquid mixture
was poured into a shaped mold. The
silver-elastic mesh was sandwiched be-
tween a top and bottom layer of soft,
thin insulation. Material flexibility test-
ing on knee and wrist joints showed the
mesh heated while deformed and un-
der stress on knee and wrist joints. It is
lightweight, breathable, and generates
heat over the entire surface area of the
material. .