Researchers create a new “impossible” material: a hybrid of glass and plastic

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands have developed a new material that was previously unimaginable. With its distinctive amber color, this substance combines impact resistance similar to plastic with the ability to be reshaped and blown as easily as glass, two characteristics long believed to be mutually exclusive.

Jasper van der Gucht, a professor at the university and leader of the research team, challenged the traditional rules governing glassy materials with the support of his colleagues. In materials science, substances with a glass-like structure typically become more fragile when they are cooled slowly during the melting process.

Now, following the team’s discovery, those assumptions are changing with the introduction of a material that can melt slowly while still gaining enough resilience to bounce off the ground without breaking.

The secret lies in how the material holds itself together. Unlike conventional plastics, which rely on chemical cross-links that act as permanent glue between long molecular chains, the new substance is bound at the molecular level through physical attractive forces.

The researchers designed a structure composed of two charged components, one positive and one negative. These poles attract each other like magnets and keep the chains connected without being chemically fixed like traditional plastic.

Only a hair dryer is needed

The material’s most notable property is its ability to be kneaded and blown like glass at high temperatures while maintaining a structure capable of absorbing impacts. The discovery was compared with ionic liquids and other charged materials, serving as an example of the theory that electrically charged substances can exhibit entirely new behaviors.

“Showing that charged materials can behave fundamentally differently from what we expected is what excites me most at this stage,” explained van der Gucht in a statement.

The development of this type of material opens new possibilities for consumer products. Thanks to its inherent self-healing capability, the substance could become a practical solution for repairing cracks in surfaces such as composite polymer roofing or outdoor furniture. The process would simply require heating the material until it softens, a standard hair dryer would be sufficient, and then pressing the damaged area so the molecular attractions reconnect and restore the structure permanently.

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