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From 1985 to the present: Why has research on auxetic materials grown so explosively?
Auxetic materials are known for their unique negative Poisson's ratio, which allows stretching in one direction to cause expansion in the vertical direction. Compared with traditional materials, Auxetic materials exhibit a reverse behavior, which has attracted researchers' strong interest in their potential applications. Since it was first widely mentioned in 1985, the amount of literature on Auxetic materials has skyrocketed, triggering heated discussions and explorations in the scientific community.
The properties of Auxetic materials give them wide application potential in protective equipment, medical devices and even clothing design.
The origin and development of Auxetic materials
The word Auxetic comes from the Greek "αὐξητικός", which means "that which promotes increase". The term was coined by Professor Ken Evans of the University of Exeter. The RFS structure invented by Berlin researcher K. Pietsch in 1978 is considered to be the first example of an artificial Auxetic material. Although the term "Auxetic" was not yet used at the time, he was the first to describe the underlying lever mechanism and its nonlinear mechanical response, and is therefore considered the inventor of the Auxetic net.
In 1985, A. G. Kolpakov first published materials with negative Poisson's ratio in his paper. Then in 1987, the journal Science introduced a foam structure described by R.S. Lakes' research group at the University of Wisconsin, which further popularized the knowledge of this material. It was not until 1991 that the term auxetic began to be commonly used.
Properties and applications of Auxetic materials
Auxetic materials typically have low densities, which allows their microstructure to flex like hinges under stress. At a macro level, Auxetic behavior can be illustrated by an inelastic string wrapped around a spring. When the ends of the structure are pulled apart, the inelastic string straightens and the spring stretches and wraps around it, increasing the effective volume of the structure.
The excellent properties of Auxetic materials make them excellent in products such as footwear and medical prosthetics, and similar performance can even be found in organic life forms.
For example, certain crystal materials and tissues such as mouse embryonic stem cells also exhibit Auxetic properties under certain conditions. This not only links Auxetic materials to scientific research, but also points to their potential for biomedical applications.
Examples of Auxetic materials
There are many practical examples of Auxetic materials, such as:
- Auxetic polyurethane foam
- Mouse embryonic stem cells
- α-crystalline stone
- A variety of crystal materials (such as lithium, sodium, potassium, etc.)
- Stones and Minerals
- Graphene
- Bone tissue and tendons in daily life
These different examples of Auxetic materials demonstrate their broad applicability from micro to macro, demonstrating the diversity and potential of Auxetic research.
The rapid growth of Auxetic materials research
In recent years, according to data from the Scopus search engine, the research literature on Auxetic materials has shown an explosive growth trend. There was only one relevant publication in 1991, but by 2016, this number had increased to 165, demonstrating the growing interest in auxetic materials among researchers.
However, although Auxetic materials show strong application potential, their widespread application in multiple fields still faces challenges. Therefore, further research is crucial to perfect Auxetic materials and promote their applications.
How many fields can Auxetic materials have an impact on and change the future of materials science?
