New Stronger than Steel Biomaterial That Superman Would Approve Of Developed in Japan

In Japan, researchers combined hydrogels that had high levels of water with a glass fiber fabric to create a biomaterial that is stronger than steel. Hokkaido University scientists used a method similar to that used to make reinforced plastics, which resulted in a flexible material with unprecedented strength. This development is big news for the composite industry which has been looking for improved materials for making artificial tendons and ligaments, soft robots and other products that need flexible yet super strong material. Gong Jian Ping, a professor at the university who led the research, told Design News “The resulting materials might be used as biological load-bearing structure materials that may exceed the existing materials, such as a tendon or ligament” and that researchers hope to apply their work to other composites like tough rubbers and elastomers.