Biomimetic materials are those which are developed by taking inspiration from nature. They usually help scientists to come up with innovative ideas leading to the development of new and unique technologies.
In a recent development, Researchers have found a new method with which they can spin liquid elastic polymers on a disc. This is a significant development in Smart Materials Market as it will form intricate hair-like shapes that are needed to create biomimetic surfaces. The method is inspired by biological designs and rationalized through mathematical precision. It might come to be used to produce metals, plastics, glasses, and smart materials at an industrial scale.
Researchers realized that if they coated liquid elastic on the outside of a disc and spun it, it would result in the formation of useful and complex patterns. When the coat is spun just right, tiny spindles rise from the materials as it cures. These spindles grow as the disc accelerates, forming a soft solid that looks like hair.
The team’s technique involves simple physics concepts and turns an old set of engineering problems into new manufacturing solutions. The method is simple, cheap, and much more sophisticated when compared to the typical molds. This new research comes as a part of a significant shift towards additive manufacturing.
Also, the research shows potential in being important for the development of surfaces that mimic biological patterns and robotic sensing capabilities. It enables scientists to make deceptively simple structures that provide crucial life functions like a lotus leaf, hair on a spider’s leg, etc. These types of structures are ubiquitous in nature, and the new approach leverages the way in which these structures form naturally.