polymer

gloved hands are stretching a thin sheet of clear material over a nail; the material is stretching over the sharp nail without breaking

Jun 20, 2024

Researchers create new class of materials called ‘glassy gels’

Glassy gels are extremely hard, but not brittle – they can stretch up to five times their original length.

An illustration of the self-sustaining, circular system of "microcleaners." The soft dendricolloids (orange) are functionalized with peptides that bind to the colored microplastic pieces. These microplastics are then consumed by engineered microbes (green) to be used as fuel or to be made into more microcleaners.

Jun 6, 2023

Reduce, reuse, recycle

NC State University researchers are studying the fundamental science behind how to address plastic waste.

Latex-gloved hands holding a clear hydrogel.

Oct 28, 2021

Using liquid metal to turn motion into electricity — even underwater

NC State researchers have created a soft and stretchable device that converts movement into electricity and can work in wet environments.