Scientists have come up with a new technique to evaluate the mechanical forces generated in polymer crystallization as they cool down from their molten state. They used small, fluorescent molecules to ...

The crystallization process is initiated by a certain degree of cooling and begins with nucleation followed by growth. Heterogeneous nucleation is more common in polymers and can be accelerated by ...

In a previous article we reviewed rapid forming of thermoplastic composites (TPC). In the second part of this three-part series, we’ll explore the thermal processes and how these can be managed, ...

Engineers have developed a method inspired by the nacre of oyster shells, a composite material with extraordinary mechanical properties, including great strength and resilience. By changing the ...

Polymers are materials composed of repeated chains of molecules. Both natural and synthetic polymers possess many important properties that are influenced by the conformation and composition of ...

Tau protein fibrillization mirrors polymer crystallization. The pathway taken as tau proteins form fibrils is very similar to the pathway taken by polymers as they crystallize. Disclaimer: AAAS and ...

Plastics are long chains of specific polymers. The use of plastics has grown significantly owing to their high strength, high stiffness, high formability, and lightweight. Additionally, the most ...

Shape memory materials that can revert back into a desired form after being bent, twisted and stretched are finding their way into a number of applications, ranging from sports bras to more efficient ...