Polymer Film Powered by Water Vapor

Polymer Film Powered by Water Vapor
Jan-16-13
A polymer film able to generate power from water vapor could open the door for a new generation of artificial muscles or methods of powering nanoscopic devices.

Developed by a team at MIT, the material is made up of two layers of film: polypyrrole for structural support and polyol-borate, a gel that swells when it absorbs water. The team discovered that using two layers generated a larger displacement and greater force that previous materials made of only one layer. When the film is put on a surface with even a small amount of moisture, the bottom layer will curl away, exposing the polymer to the air. As the water evaporates from the surface of the exposed polymer, the film will do a flip and the cycle with start over.

A 25 milligram bit of film can lift 380 times its own weight or transport a cargo of silver wires ten times its weight. The film can also produce 5.6 nanowatts, which is enough to power some microelectronic devices. Currently the team is working to develop smaller, more efficient versions of the film.



More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[MIT]
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