Polymer

Polymer is a material in the Heavy Gear universe.

Overview

Polymers are long strings of organic molecules artificially attached to one another. This yields a wide variety of possible material qualities. Polymers can be molded, extruded, shaped, machined, etc. They are generally light and adaptable and are used in many everyday items. Polymers are also used in the weapons industry for light gun casings and missile outer shells. An extremely tough ballistic plastic called Armoplast is used in several kinds of laminated armor, especially the personal “turtleshell” armor worn by front-line infantry. Ceramics and polymers are often used as a matrix for composite materials because they are easy to shape and contribute properties which complement those of the metallic alloys which most often constitute the fibers.

Most polymers are created from strings of carbon molecules secured together through various industrial process. Compounds are added during synthesis to give the resulting material specific properties. In addition, special chemicals are used to plug “holes” in the chemical structure of the polymer, considerably improving its strength and heat resistance. A polymer material can often be designed to fit a specific job or application, though there are limits: few polymers can resist extreme work conditions, such as very high or low temperatures.

Some advanced molecular-shaping techniques can produce memory plastics, polymers whose molecules can rearrange their position and internal structure when placed under certain conditions (heat, pressure, etc.) and transform into shapes that are“programmed” within the plastic’s structure. These bizarre shape-changing materials are used in very specialized functions since they are somewhat limited in their versatility and structural strength