| A material that thickens when you pull on it seems to contradict the laws of physics. However, the so-called auxetic effect, which also occurs in nature, is interesting for a number of applications. A new Empa study recently published in Nature Communications (“Random auxetics from buckling fibre networks”) shows how this amazing behavior can be improved – and even used to treat injuries and tissue damage. | |
| Nature shows us how to do it: A calf sucking milk from the udder of a mother cow uses a fascinating physical property of the teat, which consists of an auxetic tissue. Paradoxically, such tissues do not become narrower under tension, such as a rubber band, but wider, transverse to the direction of pull. Therefore, the cow’s milk can flow unhindered through the teat. | |
| Empa scientists have now demonstrated the astonishing auxetic properties of nanofiber membranes developed specifically for this purpose. The study published in Nature Communications points to a wide range of applications for auxetic materials, including the use of auxetic membranes to regenerate human tissue after injuries. |
Image Credit: EMPA/Youtube
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