Nano 'balls' can be used to manipulate the properties of glass
Friday, January 9, 2009 - 13:35
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Liquid or glass, hard or soft -- researchers at the University of Twente, The Netherlands, are investigating a new 'model material' that can adopt a series of different properties. This is possible because of miniscule balls of knotted polymers which become enlarged as the temperature drops. It has interesting potential for research into the consequences of ageing in the properties of glass, which can serve as a model for the natural process of ageing. Researchers in the Physics of Complex Fluids group have published a paper on the subject in Physical Review Letters.