Plant-Based, Shape-Memory Material Could Replace Today’s Conductors
Abstract
A novel approach that creates a renewable, leathery material—programmed to remember its shape—may offer a low-cost alternative to conventional conductors for applications in sensors and robotics. To make the bio-based, shape-memory material, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists streamlined a solvent-free process that mixes rubber with lignin—the by-product of woody plants used to make biofuels. They fashioned the leathery material into small strips and brushed on a thin layer of silver nanoparticles to activate electrical conductivity. The strips were stretched or curled and then frozen as part of the process to program the material to return to its intended shape, which occurs after the application of low heat. “The performance of this polymer can be tuned further,” said ORNL’s Amit Naskar. “Variant lignins can be used at different ratios, which determines the material’s pliability.” This research was sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1415794
- Resource Type:
- Multimedia
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY; PLANT-BASED PLASTIC; ELECTRICITY; RENEWABLE MATERIAL; CONDUCTORS; RUBBER; PLANTS; LIGNIN
Citation Formats
. Plant-Based, Shape-Memory Material Could Replace Today’s Conductors. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web.
. Plant-Based, Shape-Memory Material Could Replace Today’s Conductors. United States.
. Wed .
"Plant-Based, Shape-Memory Material Could Replace Today’s Conductors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1415794.
@article{osti_1415794,
title = {Plant-Based, Shape-Memory Material Could Replace Today’s Conductors},
author = {},
abstractNote = {A novel approach that creates a renewable, leathery material—programmed to remember its shape—may offer a low-cost alternative to conventional conductors for applications in sensors and robotics. To make the bio-based, shape-memory material, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists streamlined a solvent-free process that mixes rubber with lignin—the by-product of woody plants used to make biofuels. They fashioned the leathery material into small strips and brushed on a thin layer of silver nanoparticles to activate electrical conductivity. The strips were stretched or curled and then frozen as part of the process to program the material to return to its intended shape, which occurs after the application of low heat. “The performance of this polymer can be tuned further,” said ORNL’s Amit Naskar. “Variant lignins can be used at different ratios, which determines the material’s pliability.” This research was sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Wed Jan 03 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}