Together with foreign colleagues led by Francis Verport, a professor at the University of Ghent (Belgium) and Wuhan University of Technology (China), scientists at the Tomsk Polytechnic University created a polymer that retains its strength even at extremely low temperatures, for example, in extreme Arctic conditions.
The main component of the material is a monomer based on dicyclopentadiene, which, in turn, is derived from waste from the petrochemical industry.
“Further on, necessary additives go on, which improve the properties of the material. One of these additives is rubber, we also add carbon nanotubes and glass and coal. The resulting polymer is very light, moreover, at low temperatures its structure does not change, and it remains strong. At the same time, the strength of the material is higher than that of existing analogues, “says Mekhman Yusubov, head of the TPU’s Department of Organic Substances and Polymer Materials.
At present, polytechnics obtained laboratory samples of the polymer. On its basis, it is possible to produce various composite materials, for example, for parts of hulls of various techniques, elements of weather stations and even underwater vehicles.
“Materials can be modified in various ways, increasing their stability and strength,” the scientist notes.