IBM has discovered the first new class of polymer materials in decades. As per the research team, it will become much easier to work with the plastics used in electronics, packaging and the aerospace industry. The

discovery became possible through a combination of lab experiments and computer modeling. The properties of the new plastics will have a huge impact in manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and micro electronics.

The first synthetic plastics were invented in the 19th century and since then, the use of polymers has placed them as one of the key materials of the 21st century, with widespread use in modern life.

However, plastics are not all that they should be despite this could almost be called a plastic age. They are known as indestructible but their sensitivity to the environment has been a major issue. Plastics can be destroyed in short order by ultraviolet light, oxygen, heat, alcohols, and solvents. Also, it is very difficult to recycle because they can't be remodeled once they are cured. The major issue with them is that some plastics exude toxic chemicals if left in a landfill over time.

The last family of polymers was discovered decades ago and most researchers now focus on combining, tweaking, and generally learning how to work plastics. But IBM has made the breakthrough by discovering the first new family of polymers.

These polymers have new physical properties. The first version is lightweight, stiff, resistant to cracking with more strength than bone and can also be converted into new polymer structures with 50% lesser strength. An extremely strong, lightweight composite material similar to metal is formed after mixing with carbon nano-fibers and heating.

"Although there has been significant work in high-performance materials, today's engineered polymers still lack several fundamental attributes New materials innovation is critical to addressing major global challenges, developing new products and emerging disruptive technologies", said James Hedrick, Advanced Organic Materials Scientist, IBM Research.