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 | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 7 alternative physical approach—as in the use of physical entanglement of polymer chains, for example—to synthesizing versatile polymeric materials with self-healing capabilities has, until now, rarely been explored. The team created their new technique for easily synthesizing UHMW gels composed of entangled UHMW polymers using ionic liquids. The mechanical properties of UHMW gels were found to be superior to those of conventional, chemically crosslinked gels. In addition, they can be recycled via thermal processing and exhibit high self-healing capabilities at room temperature. www.nims.go.jp/ eng, www.global.hokudai.ac.jp, www. yamaguchi-u.ac.jp/english. DEEP SEA VACUUM COLLECTS METALS A collaboration between a conglomerate of European countries called Blue Harvesting has created and tested a new collector that can gather valuable metals such as copper, manganese, nickel, and cobalt from the deep sea bottom with minimal disturbance to the natural environment. The scientists say their collector could be thought of as a deep sea vacuum cleaner, driven by water pressure and powered entirely by electricity. The team tested their mining vehicle, Apollo 2, in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of around 300 m, where the conditions are very similar to the deep sea. They equipped the collector with various sensors that measured how much sediment was disturbed during the mining operation as the nodules were gathered from the sea floor. “We carried out all the tests we had planned to do,” report the scientists, “which is not always feasible when working with a prototype and being dependent on sea and weather conditions, and Apollo 2 proved extremely efficient at picking up the nodules without causing large dust clouds of sediment. In fact, these ‘plumes’ seemed to be smaller than usual and contained significantly less sediment than expected.” www.blueharvesting-project.eu. This unique underwater vacuum cleaner can harvest metals necessary for next-generation energy sources . Courtesy of Del University of Technology. One Part Supreme 10HT for STRUCTURAL TOUGHENED EPOXY BONDING Hackensack, NJ 07601 USA • +1.201.343.8983 • main masterbond.com www.masterbond.com HIGH BOND STRENGTH Lap shear strength | 3,600-3,800 psi Tensile modulus | 450,000-500,000 psi NASA LOW OUTGASSING Per ASTM E595 standards SERVICE TEMPERATURE RANGE From 4K to +400°F Back by popular demand! The ASM Thermal Spray Society will again provide students and emerging professionals an opportunity to interact with the world’s best, brightest, and most influential leaders in the global thermal spray industry. Each session kicks off with a presentation, followed by an engaging and lively Q&A moderated by Dr. Rogerio Lima. Join us each month to hear directly from the experts! REGISTER TODAY! asminternational.org/web/tss-open-mic-series
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