Researchers Develop New Solid Materials Shaping Process

(New York University)

Scientists at New York University (NYU) in New York City have developed a method to shape solid materials using a corn starch solution. While manufacturers today can use lasers or high-speed water jets for this purpose, these current methods are not very precise. The corn starch solution developed at NYU offers a rudimentary alternative (illustrated right) that can respond precisely to several different shaping factors.

Postdoctoral researcher Bin Liu, with NYU faculty members Michael Shelley and Jun Zhang, submerged a motor-powered, plastic sphere through the corn starch solution toward a containing wall made of clay, stopping just short of the wall. Using the force of the sphere to harden the corn starch solution, the researchers were able to make indentations in the wall. In addition, they were able to do so with a degree of precision by taking into account speed, force, and geometry.

Their method offers manufacturers a potential technique for precision-guided material cutting and solid modeling. The research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. Their findings were published in the journal Physical Review of Letters (paid subscription required).

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