Plastic Innovation – The Protective “Goo”

There are always plenty of innovations happening in the world of plastics, but one that recently caught our eye was this protective “goo”. It may seem a little odd, but the science behind this new product is incredibly clever.

What Is It?

This protective substance has been designed and manufactured by the company D30. They have called this substance the Impact Additive and it combines advanced polymer chemistry to achieve the protective features when mixed with TPR (Thermoplastics Rubber).

It allows traditional TRP products to have added impact protection without impacting the comfort or flexibility of the product. This plastic is even sustainable in extremely hot or cold conditions.

The advanced polymer can be blended into existing thermoplastic rubber during the processing and manufacturing stages of the process to deliver the required protection.

The goo-like substance acts with properties of both a solid and a liquid. When handled slowly, the material is flexible and soft, but when there is an impact, the material automatically hardens to protect. This is thanks to the shock absorber properties.

Why Is This Useful?

This product is going to be extremely useful in the construction and automotive industries where safety is crucial, but workers still need the flexibility and comfort that TPR provides them with.

The improvement in safety that this allows for is unprecedented in this industry. The impact additive has a 34% reduction in peak transmitted force compared to the same thickness of TPR.

Currently, this product is being used in industrial gloves and protective clothing, but there is definitely scope for the use of this product to be expanded.

Using this enhanced material will decrease the chance of workplace injuries occurring, therefore, saving the industry excess costs for any incidents and cover.

Another use for this plastic on a mass scale is protective clothing for rugby players and police. It allows for all of the movement needed for these careers while still providing the necessary protection when force is applied.

Plastics are constantly evolving with the help of new and interesting additives and chemicals, so innovations in this industry are common, but this material really could hold a massive benefit to multiple very large industries, which is maybe the reason why this plastic innovation is so intriguing to us.