Full Text:
Plastic, rubber and many other useful materials are made of polymers--long chains arranged in a cross-linked network. At the molecular level, these polymer networks contain structural flaws that weaken them. Researchers have found a new approach for reducing the number of loops (pictured in red) in a polymer.
This new method could offer an easy way for manufacturers of industrially useful materials such as plastics or gels to strengthen their materials.Image credit: Courtesy of the researchers
