Material ConneXion honors new materials

Material ConneXion, a materials consultancy, recently honored new materials -- some plastics, some not -- with its first annual Medium Awards for Material of the Year. The big winner isn't really plastic (although it does have a PVC backing). It's called Concrete Cloth from a U.K. company called Concrete Canvas. The material is a flexible fabric impregnated with cement, which allows it to be quickly and easily molded and set into shapes. "With the simple addition of water, Concrete Cloth makes it possible to create safe, durable, non-combustible structures for a wide range of commercial, military and humanitarian uses," said Andrew H. Dent, Vice President, Library & Materials Research at Material ConneXion, in a news release. "This innovation is especially remarkable for enabling the construction of rapidly deployable shelter and food storage structures in disaster relief situations." Material ConneXion also recognized 11 Material of the Year honorable mentions. Some of the more interesting ones, including some with plastics connections, include:

• Connex 3D Multiple Material Printers, from Objet Geometries, enable the creation of prototypes and models that are closer to the form of the desired end product.
• Curran by Cellucomp is a high-strength biofiber formulated from degraded carrots with a stiffness that rivals carbon fiber.
• Innegra S fiber by Innegrity is a light high-performance fiber for use in composite ballistics fabrics, sporting goods, marine and automotive applications, and military helmets.
• Liquid Silicone Rubber LSR 7070 by Momentive Performance Materials, a transparent silicone for the production of optical fibers, lenses and consumer products as an alternative to traditional thermoplastics or glass.
• Millad NX8000 by Milliken Chemical, an additive that improves the clarity of polypropylene.
• Pebax Rnew by Arkema, an elastomer made of up to 95 percent plant-based materials, for use in consumer products, sports equipment and footwear.

Material ConneXion currently has the award winner and finalists on dispay at its showroom in New York. The exhibit will run through Feb. 19.