Most engineering plastics are polymer blends.
Blending technologies are already in wide use for large parts such as car bumpers, but new applications are emerging for parts that are similar in size to the dispersed polymer droplets. Using visualization technology to study the polymer blending process, NIST scientists have discovered the formation of novel polymer structures that can occur in such microscale applications. NIST measurements show that, when two incompatible polymer liquids are mechanically blended together, one may deform into very long strings that are extremely stable. Potential microscale applications of super-string components could include conductive plastic wires, ultrathin composite materials and tissue engineering. For more information about this research, contact Migler .