More than a hundred years ago, a technique that was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1908 led to the development of a new material in today’s scientific world. Using Gabriel Lippmann’s method of preventing colors from mixing in photographic events, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a material that changes color as it stretches.
Materials that change color as they stretch have also been developed in the laboratory. But the process of developing these materials often required a lot of effort and money. Using Lippmann’s technique, the team at MIT was able to develop a material that changes color as it stretches at a much cheaper cost.
Material that changes color as it stretches:
The color of the newly developed material travels through the visible light spectrum when subjected to tensile forces, changing first to red, then green, and finally blue. All colors are visible on the material as shown in the video above. Of course, all this is done by combining Lippmann’s technique and a material called ‘photoelastomer’, which is often used to create holograms.
The newly developed material has the potential to be used as sensors for mechanical instruments, in particular, where stress and strain must be monitored, according to the MIT team. The new material can replace the electronic devices currently used in this regard. However, the material can even be used in medical bandages to observe how tight the bandage is adhered, or even in clothing just for fun.
One of the most interesting aspects of the new material was that the Lippmann technique used in the material was the first to find commercial use. The technique developed by Lippmann had no use in its time.
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