news 2026

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that could not exist according to materials theory. Its properties lie between glass and plastic: it is easy to shape and resists impact. This combination arises because the building blocks are not chemically attached to each other, but are held together by physical forces.

Researchers at Wageningen University & Research have developed a new type of plastic that, according to materials theory, should not be able to exist. Its properties sit somewhere between those of glass and plastic: it is easy to (re)shape, yet resistant to impact. This unusual combination is possible because the building blocks of the material are not held together by chemical bonds, but by physical forces.