
A type of semi-transparent polymer that can be mended at room temperature - mjohnre
https://phys.org/news/2017-12-semi-transparent-polymer-room-temperature-small.html
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clort
I'm thinking that if you can stick things that people commonly carry around
together just by pressing them against each other that this opens up a whole
new area of drunken antics

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rgbrenner
This is a better link IMO: [https://phys.org/news/2017-12-semi-transparent-
polymer-room-...](https://phys.org/news/2017-12-semi-transparent-polymer-room-
temperature-small.html)

And here's the actual paper all the articles are about:
[http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/12/13/scien...](http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2017/12/13/science.aam7588.full)

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dang
Ok, we've changed to that first link from
[http://www.enca.com/technology/japanese-inventor-shatters-
ex...](http://www.enca.com/technology/japanese-inventor-shatters-expectations-
with-self-healing-glass). Thanks!

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DiabloD3
Somebody had fun with that headline.

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JumpCrisscross
> _The organic glass, made of a substance called polyether thioureas, is
> closer to acrylic than mineral glass_

Plastic is organic glass?

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dogma1138
If it’s non crystalline then yes, glass is defined as a non crystalline
amorphous solid and there are more than a handful of plastics that fall into
that category.

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wz1000
What is the distinction between amorphous and non-crystalline? Also, for
instance, aren't all solid metals amorphous non crystalline solids?

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dogma1138
Someone has already answered, most metals are crystalline, the metallic alloys
that aren't are actually called metallic glass, there aren't many of them and
they were first produced in the 50's or 60's.

But for all intents and purposes nearly all commonly used metals and alloys
are crystalline, metallography is pretty much the study of the different types
of crystalline structures that any given metal or alloy can have.

Each metal can also have multiple crystalline structures this is how you give
different properties to the same metal or alloy, this most usually achieved
through heat treating, quenching and tempering, or alternatively metals that
cannot be heat treated are often work hardened or "cold formed".

