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New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

Posted September 02, 2013 11:45 AM

From ExtremeTech:

Many smartphone owners know the sorrow of dropping a phone and finding the fall cracked or chipped the casing. A new type of plastic developed at Duke University could change all that. This material actually gets stronger when it is stressed.

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70AARCuda
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#1

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/02/2013 10:02 PM

Non-Newtonian plastic?

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WAWAUS
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#2
In reply to #1

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/02/2013 11:52 PM

sounds like it...
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JNB
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#3

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/03/2013 11:08 AM

This material gets HARDER when stressed. If you read the article you'll note that it doesn't say anything about tensile strengths. While crosslinking could increase the strength, it may also reduce the ductility of the material and so could possibly increase the chance of chipping or breaking on a second drop. Really very similar that way to work-hardening of metals.
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JRiversW
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#4
In reply to #3

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/03/2013 1:18 PM

Ah, but if it can be stress relieved at around 90 degrees f....
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tcmtech
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#5

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/03/2013 3:59 PM

Why don't they just make them out of the same plastics they make Legos and Tonka toys out of?

That stuff is incredibly durable and abuse tolerant!

I have seen both of those toys go through lawnmowers and survive intact!
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guds777
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#6

Re: New Plastic Becomes Stronger When Stressed, Drop-Proof Smartphones Incoming

09/08/2013 1:37 PM

There is D30 impact hardening rubber D30 Rubber.

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