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A team of researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), University of Southern Mississippi, Arizona State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has developed an innovative polymer material capable of visualizing shockwaves during high-velocity impacts. This breakthrough enables scientists to better understand how materials absorb energy and respond to extreme conditions, which has wide-ranging implications for studies on brain trauma, advanced manufacturing, and space exploration.
The research, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates how a polymer containing mechanophores—molecules that illuminate under large mechanical force—can visually record the response of the material to high-speed projectile impacts. Notably, the mechanophores captured subsurface distortions in the material, information that was previously impossible to access. By integrating molecular-level reactions with advanced imaging techniques, the researchers can now visualize the formation of Mach cones—acoustic waves that travel faster than the speed of sound in the material, akin to a sonic boom from a supersonic aircraft.
“Our polymer allows us to ‘see’ how energy moves through the material during an impact,” said Polette Centellas, a researcher from the Materials Science and Engineering Division at NIST. “This opens up new possibilities for designing materials that can better withstand extreme conditions, from spacecraft shielding to advanced protective gear.”
This work uncovers a previously underexplored energy dissipation mechanism in polymers: shockwave attenuation. Traditionally, energy absorption in materials was thought to occur mainly through plastic deformation—where materials bend or break. However, this study shows that shockwaves play a significant role in energy dissipation, especially at high impact velocities.
This discovery promises to drive innovations in developing more durable and tougher materials for industries ranging from defense to healthcare, where managing high-strain-rate impacts is crucial.