The Japanese have created a hydrogel that acts as an artificial muscle

Researchers from the Institute of Japanese RIKEN created hydrogel , which changes its shape depending on the temperature. The structure of the gel makes the deformation direction - it significantly changes its linear dimensions in only one direction. The amount of absorbed liquid gel during such deformation remains constant.



Conventional hydrogels are known, they can absorb large amounts of fluids in several times their own weight. Absorbing fluid they are uniformly increased in volume and to reduce the need to give it to them. This process takes a long time.

The resulting unusual Japanese hydrogel works like an artificial muscle . With increasing temperature, it is stretched in substantially one direction and is slightly compressed in the other, maintaining the original volume. Square pattern becomes rectangular and made by scientists from the area of ​​this material was walking briskly on a flat surface.



When creating material used previous developments scientists in which they coagulated polymer hydrogel with light and creating a thin film of metal oxide by means of magnetic fields. This material consists of many layers nanotolschiny, fastened together polymer, which acts between the forces of electrostatic repulsion. As a result, when the temperature rises repulsion begins to predominate and the material expanded in one direction, increasing the distance between the layers.

Yasuhiro Ishida, one of the researchers, explains that researchers have sought to create a material which expands in one direction, but its properties such as conservation of volume and ability to operate without liquid in the air, become their surprise. As exceeded expectations and high strain rate was about 70% of the length per second.

While scientists conduct further research in this area. Such material can be used as an artificial muscle, for example, any valves which must operate rapidly with temperature.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/260148/