New plastic behaves like glass

Scientists have developed a new material that could revolutionise the automobile, aeronautics, building, electronics and leisure industries.

A team led by Ludwik Leibler, from School of Industrial Physics & Chemistry, in Paris, part of France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, found that a new material could replace resin as it retains many of the same qualities, such as being light, insoluble and difficult to break, however, like glass it is also capable of being reshaped and recycled at high temperatures.

Furthermore, the novel material is inexpensive and easy to produce.

The scientists created the new material, which behaves like glass but is much lighter and less brittle, from ingredients that are currently used and readily available in industry, such as epoxy resins, hardeners and catalysts.

At room temperature, the new material can be either hard like resin or a soft elastic solid, depending on which composition is chosen, enhancing the possible uses.

"Anywhere you have a complex shape, you can use this material," said lead researcher Dr Leibler, "It's much lighter than metal or glass, it's chemically resistant, and it's recyclable."

Posted by Ben Evans