BOUNCING IDEAS

Clemson University Ph D student Keqin uses strands of coiled nanotubes to prepare a bed of tiny shock-absorbing carbon springs which could be used to protect objects such as cellphones and car bumper from damaging impacts.
Scientists make beds of coiled nanotubes that have potential as shock absorbers;
say these nano springs could be used in armour, car bumpers and cellphones.......
Electronic devices get smaller and more complex every year.But it turns out that fragility is the price of miniaturisation especally when it comes to small device ,such as cell phones, hitting the floor.Wouldn'nt be grate if they bounced instead of cracking when dropped.
A team of reserches at US' Clemson University-led by Apparao Rao,professor of physics- has invented a way to make beds of tiny,shock-absorbing carbon springs,which possibly could be used to protect delicate objects from damagins impacts.With collaborators at the University of Callifornia at San Diego, the team has shown that layers of these tiny springs called coiled nanotues -each a thousand times smaller than a human hair -can act as extreanly resilient shock absorbers.Similar coiled carbon nanotubes have been made before, yet Clemson nanotube
reseachers say this is unique since beds of coiled carbon nanotubes can be grown in a single step using a properietary hydrocarbon -catalyst mixture.
The group also envisions coiled nanotubes in sodiers' body armour , car bumpers and bushing and even as cushioning elements elements in shoe soles."The problem we have faced in the past is producing enough of these coiled carbon nanotubes at a reasonable cost to make a difference" said Rao "Because our current method produces coiled nanotubes quikly in high yield it can be readly scaled up to industrial levels".
"After formation the coiled nanotubes can be peeled off in one piece and placed on other surfaces to form instant cuhinoning coating " he said.In earlier studies ,Rao and his team tested more conventional straight carbon nanotubes against coil-shaped nanotubes .When a satinless steel ball was dropped onto a single nanotube layer the coiled nanotubes completely recovered from the impact while the straight ones did not."Its like an egg toss" said rao. "If you move your hand backwards as you catch the egg and increase the time of contact over which the impact occurs, the impact will be less forceful and the egg will not break.It is the same phenomenon experienced in catching a ball."
His studies with carbon nanotubes have been ongoing for quite some time,Rao said."Each step along the way has led to the next breakthrough,and each time we have learned more about how they grow and what their applications could be,We belive that carbon nanotubes have tremendous potential for the lives of each one of us,"he added.