Chinese researchers develop high-performance foldable film

HEFEI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Inspired by the manufacturing processes and structure of rice paper, Chinese researchers have developed a high-performance transparent foldable film, according to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).

Rice paper, or Chinese art paper, is made from bark and straw through over a hundred processes. By studying the structure of the paper, researchers with the USTC have found that a large number of nanofibers and micron fibers interwoven in rice paper endow it with the advantages of high strength and flexibility.

Thanks to these properties, the film shows no destructive creases after being completely folded. It can also return to its original shape after being rolled up.

In addition, the film is more thermally stable than the widely used petroleum-based plastic film, showing no considerable change even at a temperature of 250 degrees centigrade.

These mechanical, thermodynamic and optical characteristics make the film an ideal material for manufacturing precision optical and flexible electronic devices.

The finding has been published in the journal ACS Materials Letters.