News tagged with polymer foams

Texas A&M engineers develop fire-resistant, environmentally friendly coating

(Phys.org) -- A thin polymer coating developed by materials engineers at Texas A&M University could keep cotton clothing and polyurethane-foam-based furniture from going up in flames.

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Apr 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

All foamed up: Synthesis of macroporous polystyrene through polymerization of foamed emulsions

(PhysOrg.com) -- Packaging, insulation, and impact protection are examples of commercial uses of polymer foams. Depending on the intended application, the properties required of these foams can differ greatly. In the journal ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Amazon fungi found that eat polyurethane, even without oxygen

(PhysOrg.com) -- Until now polyurethane has been considered non-biodegradable, but a group of students from Yale University in the US has found fungi that will not only eat and digest it, they will do so even in the absence ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Feb 03, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (47) | comments 27 | with audio podcast report

Icy exposure creates armored polymer high tech foams

(PhysOrg.com) -- Chemists and engineers at the University of Warwick have found that exposing particular mixtures of polymer particles and other materials to sudden freeze-drying can create a high-tech armored foam that could ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Jul 28, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (6) | comments 0




Search results for polymer foams


Technique enables mass production of custom concrete building components from digital designs

Like other professionals, architects have used computer-aided design (CAD) software in their work for decades. Typically, the resulting digital files are converted to hard-copy plans, which are then used to ...

Technology / Engineering

created May 16, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 5 | with audio podcast

A physicist and an inventor

As a boy growing up in Croatia, Marin Soljacic wanted to be an inventor. But he wasn’t interested only in designing new products; he wanted to discover physical phenomena that would enable completely ...

Physics / General Physics

created May 14, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 2

Feathers show their true colors

(Phys.org) -- For millennia birds have been prized, even hunted, for their beautiful plumage but what makes their feathers so colorful?

Chemistry / Materials Science

created May 11, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

The lithium battery as a source of hope

The future belongs to electric vehicles – the experts are convinced of this. But there are a few challenges to overcome before quietly whirring electric cars can completely replace the combustion engine. One such challenge ...

Technology / Energy & Green Tech

created Mar 23, 2012 | popularity 3.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Thinner thermal insulation

(PhysOrg.com) -- Insulation panels that are both thin and effective are expensive. At present these high-end products are built into energy-saving refrigerators. Innovative components and production techniques ...

Technology / Engineering

created Dec 02, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 4

Graphene foam detects explosives, emissions better than today's gas sensors

(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute demonstrates how graphene foam can outperform leading commercial gas sensors in detecting potentially dangerous and explosive chemicals. The ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Nov 24, 2011 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (8) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Self-healing membranes: Nature shows the way

Lianas whose stabilization rings of woody cells heal spontaneously after suffering damage serve as a natural example to bionic experts of self-repairing membranes. Empa researchers have borrowed this trick ...

Technology / Engineering

created Sep 23, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1

Shaping up: Controlling a stem cell's form can determine its fate

"Form follows function!" was the credo of early 20th century architects making design choices based on the intended use of the structure. Cell biologists may be turning that on its head. New research by a ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Sep 13, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

A 'nano,' environmentally friendly, and low toxicity flame retardant protects fabric

The technology in "fire paint" used to protect steel beams in buildings and other structures has found a new life as a first-of-its-kind flame retardant for children's cotton sleepwear, terrycloth bathrobes and other apparel, ...

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Aug 31, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Novel coatings show great promise as flame retardants in polyurethane foam

Gram for gram, novel carbon nanofiber-filled coatings devised by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Texas A&M University outperformed conventional flame retardants used in the polyurethane ...

Chemistry / Polymers

created Aug 03, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast


List of search results for polymer foams