Scientists create new material that can absorb and discharge enormous amounts of energy

In a new development, a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced that they have engineered a new rubber –like solid matter that has superior qualities. The material can absorb and discharge very large quantities of energy, and is programmable.

The materials holds promise for a very large spectrum of applications, from enabling robots to have increased capacity without using additional energy to new protective materials that can discharge energy in much lesser time.

If a rubber band is pulled back, and let go, it flies across the room, stated the senior author of the paper. If a super rubber band is used in place, when it is stretched past a certain point, extra energy stored in the material is activated. When the rubber band is let to go, it flies for a mile.

The hypothetical rubber band is made of a new metamaterial that combines an elastic, rubber-like substance with tiny magnets embedded in it. The new elasto magnetic material takes advantage of a physical property termed phase shift to greatly influence the amount of energy the material can absorb or release.

The shift in phase occurs when a material changes from one state to another. The example of water changing into steam or liquid concrete solidifying into a sidewalk is an analogy. Whenever a material shifts its phase, energy is either absorbed or released. And phase shifts are not only limited to changes between solid, liquid, and gaseous states – a shift can occur from phase to another.

A change in shift can be harnessed as a power source, but obtaining enough energy has always been the difficult part.

The amplification of energy release or absorption requires engineering a new structure at the atomic or even molecular level.

Author: Rohit Bhisey

As Head of Marketing at TMR Research, Rohit brings to the table over a decade of experience in market research and Internet marketing. His dedication, perseverance, and passion for perfection have enabled him to achieve immense success in his field. Rohit is an expert at formulating new business plans and strategies to help boost web traffic. His interests lie in writing news articles on technology,healthcare and business.

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