Scientists Invent Metallic Bubble Wrap
Posted on July 8, 2013
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new metallic bubble. The researchers say it is lighter, stronger and more flexible than sheet metal. It is also more heat- and chemical-resistant than plastic or other polymer-based bubble wraps.
The metallic bubble wrap was designed to offer protection in areas that are only a few millimeters thick. The researchers say potential uses form the metal bubble wrap include automobile body panels, the wing edges of airplanes, suitcases, helmets and cases for computers, smartphones and tablets.
Dr. Afsaneh Rabiei, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the lead researcher on the project, said in a statement, "This material does exactly what sheet metal and other bubble wraps do, but better. And it won't cost businesses and consumers very much because producing it requires just a few steps."
To create this new bubble wrap, Dr. Rabiei started with a thin sheet of aluminum. She used a studded roller to dot the material with small indentations. Then she deposited a foaming agent (such as calcium carbonate or titanium hydrate) into the indentations. When heated, such agents decompose and create bubbles. Rabiei then covered the aluminum with another sheet, sandwiching the foaming agent in its indentation troughs. She ran a heavy roller over the two sheets to bond them together. In the final step, she placed the combined sheet into a furnace, where the heat broke down the foaming agent and created air bubbles in the material. Dr. Rabiei says the process is akin to baking soda causing batter to rise when baking a cake.