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I think the more specific (and more interesting) claim is that it retains its shape after being run over by a car. Grass gets flattened. Sand doesn't really hav
by Zanni 5y ago
I think the more specific (and more interesting) claim is that it retains its shape after being run over by a car. Grass gets flattened. Sand doesn't really have a shape to begin with.
It's interesting that they place a cover over the jelly first. Makes me think it's not nearly as good at surviving shear forces.
- bryans 5y ago> Makes me think it's not nearly as good at surviving shear forces. It would definitely tear extremely easily due to the polymer scaffolding being entirely exposed, which makes it useless for most applications. By contrast, non-Newtonian fluids already being used in protective applications are encapsulated in materials far more resistant to scratching and shearing, which also allows the fluid to retain shape without the need for any specialized polymers inside the suspended fluid itself.
- noir_lord 5y agoOne of the useful applications is D3O (brand name) which is a non-newtonian fluid that is soft/rubber like until it takes an impact and then solidifies pretty much instantly - it's used in higher end motorcycle gear. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJowUKgxNU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzJowUKgxNU
- bryans 5y agoThe fluid in D3O is encapsulated in plastics, which is how it maintains its scratch and tear resistance. Whereas the entire structure of the hydrogel in the article is bare, which means the friction of a rotating tire would easily rip it to shreds -- which is why they sandwiched the gel between two sheets of something in the video.
- cowsandmilk 5y agoThe point here was to create a hydrogel, which many useful properties missing from random non Newtonian fluids. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogel