Controlling the mechanics of soft materials

What remains of a strongly connected structure if you remove all of the excess connections one by one? You then create an entirely new type of material, the so-called marginal materials. The mechanical response of such materials just before lose their coherency and fall apart, is unique. Recent theoretical work has revealed that small changes in structure, temperature, composition and load have an unprecedented strong effect on the characteristics of such materials. That principle paves the way for materials that become stronger when they are about to break, self-repairing materials or materials that are superb absorbers of shocks and sound.

The researchers will use a completely new strategy to specifically produce and characterise innovative, functional soft polymers. In this research they will make maximum use of the large mechanical responsiveness of marginal soft networks . Programme leader Kees Storm (Eindhoven University of Technology): "This is a fantastic opportunity to translate this new strategy for the design of soft materials from theory into practice! With our programme we cover the spectrum from new fundamental physics to materials that are ready for industrial applications. An enthusiastic team of theoretical and experimental physicists will work intensively on this challenge in collaboration with industry." 

The programme is a collaboration between VU University Amsterdam, Leiden University, Eindhoven University of Technology, the FOM Institute AMOLF and Utrecht University together with Unilever R&D.