This Engineering Newswire looks at healing plastic with a drop of water, 3D printing complex tissues and setting a new speed record for electric vehicles.
Water Heals Bioplastic
Many materials are already self-healing, but now, researchers have developed a plastic that has the ability to repair itself with just a drop of water. Derived from the genetic code of squid ring teeth, the two-part material consists of a soft amorphous segment and a more structured molecular architecture.
Someday this technology could be used to extend the life of medical implants, fiber-optic cables, and other objects in hard to reach places. The researchers even think that in the future the approach could be applied to healing wounds.
Electric Streamliner Sets New Land Speed Record
On August 21, French electric car specialist Venturi and the Ohio State University Center for Automotive Research teamed up at the Bonneville Speedway to set a new speed record for electric vehicles with the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 streamliner.
Propelled by two custom electric motors, the streamliner is powered by over 2 megawatts of lithium ion batteries. The electric vehicle was able to reach a record speed of 240.320 mph, breaking the world record in the 3.5-ton category. It may sound impressive, but the makers of the vehicle had expected to reach a speed of around 440 mph.
Put Meds in 3D-Printed Skin
Researchers from Tufts University have developed a silk-based ink that could open up new possibilities in 3D printing complex tissues. Instead of just printing your ordinary, run of the mill, skin, what if tissue could be 3D printed with pharmaceuticals to help treat burn victims?
Most inks are currently made of thermoplastics, silicones, collagen and gelatin. But there are limits to how they can be used. For example, the temperatures required to toughen up some of these materials can damage cells or biological components. To address these bio-ink limitations, these researchers turned to silk protein and developed a way to avoid these harsh processing conditions.
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