World Netball (WN) has today updated the WN World Rankings including results from matches played between 1st June to 11:59PM 1st September 2025.
This WN World Rankings update will now be used by Commonwealth Sport (CS) for them to invite 12 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to Glasgow 2026, including the hosts, Scotland, who automatically qualify to be invited.
There is no change in the top six, with the highest change in the table coming at 15th, with Namibia moving into this place from 18th, after they won the inaugural UAE Netball Cup, beating Singapore in the Final 62 – 53.
Despite losing in the final of the UAE Netball Cup, Singapore have still moved up in the WN World Rankings themselves, from 26th to 22nd.
Namibia’s success means that Zambia have moved down one place to 16th, whilst Fiji have dropped two places to 18th.
The UAE Netball Cup also led to changes further down the table, with Kenya moving up two places to 23rd, whilst the UAE, Ireland and the USA dropped to 27th, 29th and 40th respectively following their results.
The ECCB International Series, which concluded on the 31st August, also led to many changes throughout the WN World Rankings.
The most significant increases in the WN World Rankings can be seen from both St Lucia and Cayman Islands, who have both moved up five places each to 30th and 35th.
This comes after St Lucia won four of their six ranking matches at this event, and Cayman Islands three of theirs.
Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica have all dropped in the WN World Rankings following their performance at the ECCB International Series and they now sit in 24th, 45th and 49th respectively.
To views the full WN World Rankings update, visit our website here.
If you’ve consumed any beauty content on social media this year, you’ll know that tints are huge. Creamy, opaque and matte formulas are taking a back seat to cheek and lip colours in juicy, fruity shades.
And while these may seem inherently summery, syrupy cheeks and berry-stained lips that last all day look set to continue into autumn and beyond. Think gentle, translucent watercolours with the indelibility of spilt turmeric on a white worktop.
Benefit’s classic rose-petal-stained Benetint has been around for decades, but its next-generation offspring Dark Cherry (£22.50) has only recently landed. What looks girly in the original purply-pink shade has become sophisticated in Dark Cherry, and I find the new deep, bloody, brownish red to be very flattering on everyone.
The stain lasts for many hours, leaving no smudges on my face, cutlery or wine glass, and can be kept moist-looking with an occasional lip balm topper (it’s worth starting with moist lips, too, since the tint tends to deposit more pigment on dry patches).
Victoria Beckham already makes a very good lip tint, and has now branched out to cheek tints with Colour Wash Blush Water Tint (£44), the viral makeup launch of late summer. These three translucent, Slush Puppie-hued serums slide on to cheeks to create a juicy, bouncy, postcoital exertion sort of glow.
They, too, last brilliantly – I even managed to hang on to Flushed, the sheer poppy red, through long, hot days in California recently.
I did find, though, that application with a fluffy brush gave me more time to buff in the product before it set, but oily skins may be able to get away with fingertips. If you can’t justify luxury prices for what may be a one-year trend, try NYX’s (glossier) Lip IV Hydrating Gloss Stain (£10.99) or Fat Cheeks Juicy Blush (£7.99). They are great quality, come in a wide range of shades and are a cheaper, fun way to indulge in the craze.
Seemingly impossible to keep in stock are Huda Beauty’s new Lip Contour Lip Stains (£22), eight felt-tip pens designed to stay put where regular lipliner pencils cannot.
With practise, I liked these a lot, but with one caveat: after drawing it on – as you would with any other liner – I’d strongly advise running the tip of your little finger along the line to soften, blur and slightly spread the product over your lips.
This will give you all-day definition and colour without the harsh appearance of your lipliner having outlived your lipstick.
I don’t remember where I was when my TikTok feed showed me a video of a woman holding her stillborn baby, but I remember how I felt. At first, it appeared like any other video of a woman holding a newborn. It was tightly wrapped in blankets while she cradled it in her arms. She was crying, but so are most of the women in these post-birth videos. It wasn’t until I read the caption that I realised what I was looking at. Her baby had been delivered at 23 weeks. I was 22 weeks pregnant. I felt doomed.
My social media algorithms knew I was pregnant before family, friends or my GP. Within 24-hours, they were transforming my feeds. On Instagram and TikTok, I would scroll through videos of women recording themselves as they took pregnancy tests, just as I had done. I “liked”, “saved”, and “shared” the content, feeding the machine, showing it that this is how it could hold my attention, compelling it to send me more. So it did. But it wasn’t long before the joy of those early videos started to transform into something dark.
The algorithm began to deliver content about the things you fear the most while pregnant: “storytimes” about miscarriages; people sharing what happened to them and, harrowingly, filming themselves as they received the news that their baby had no heartbeat. Next came videos about birth disfigurements, those found by medical professionals early on, and those that were missed until the baby’s birth.
One night, after a before-bed scroll delivered me a video of a woman who filmed her near-death childbirth experience, I uninstalled the apps through tears. But they were soon reinstalled, when the needs of work, friendships and habit dictated they must be. I tried blocking the content I didn’t want to see, but it made little difference.
On TikTok, there are more than 300,000 videos tagged under “miscarriage”, and a further 260,000 under “miscarriageawareness”. One video with the caption “live footage of me finding out I had miscarried” has almost half a million views. Another showing a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby has just under five million.
In another context, before I was pregnant, I would have found the content barrier-breaking and important. I don’t think the individuals who share such vulnerable moments are doing anything wrong. For the right person, it could be a lifeline. But it didn’t feel right in the feed of someone who had inadvertently signalled to the algorithm that they were having a baby.
‘I “liked”, “saved”, and “shared” the content, feeding the machine, compelling it to send me more’ … Wheeler, while pregnant. Photograph: Courtesy of Kathryn Wheeler
When I talk about this experience with others who were pregnant at the same time as me, I am met with knowing nods and stories that match my own. I hear about how they were also served up personalised doses of fear, and how the algorithms evolved to target the things specific to them. Our experiences feel like a radicalisation, as normal worries were driven to new heights by a barrage of content that became more and more extreme. This is pregnancy and motherhood in 2025.
“There are supportive posts, and then there are things so extreme and distressing, I don’t want to repeat them,” says Cherelle Mukoko, who is eight months pregnant. Mukoko mostly sees this content on Facebook and Instagram. She used to see it on TikTok as well, before she deleted the app. “My eldest is four. During that pregnancy, I came across upsetting posts on social media, some of them quite close to home, but this time it seems worse. The content feels more graphic and harder to escape.”
Mukoko, 35, who is a woman of colour, has found that she is specifically shown content around the treatment of Black women in pregnancy. An analysis of NHS data in 2024 found that Black women are up to six times more likely to experience severe complications during a hospital delivery than their white counterparts. “That hasn’t been my reality, but it does make me go into every appointment more cautious and on edge, wondering how I’ll be treated,” she says.
“They really do instil fear,” she continues. “You start thinking: ‘Could this happen to me? Will I be in that unlucky percentage?’ With the complications I’ve already had during this pregnancy, seeing such negative things makes my intrusive thoughts spiral. It can leave you feeling resentful – you’re enduring so much already, and then on top of that, your social media feed is fuelling more anxiety.”
For Dr Alice Ashcroft, a 29-year-old researcher and consultant who analyses the impact of identity, gendered language and technology: “It first started when I was trying to conceive. Seeing pregnancy announcements was hard. I also started to get a lot of ads for vitamins that would increase the chances of conception, but the reason I was struggling was an underlying health issue (a very rare blood disorder), so this was really hard to stomach.”
It didn’t stop once she was pregnant. “Towards the end of my pregnancy, we had some worrying scans at about 36 weeks, and I was looking at the web links suggested to me by the midwives. I’m not sure if it was the cookies I generated (which work as a digital footprint) or simply that the platforms I was engaging with knew I was in late pregnancy, but I started to see a large amount of content about late-stage terminations and miscarriages.” Her baby is now six months old.
The ability of algorithms to target our most sensitive and private fears is uncanny and cruel. “I’ve been convinced for years that social media is reading my mind,” says Jade Asha, 36, who had her second son in January. “With me, it was all about body image: showing women at nine months pregnant still in the gym, when I hadn’t been able to do a 10-minute walk in months. Pregnancy makes my arthritis flare up. Even now, there are some days I can barely leave the house because swollen knees make it so difficult to walk.”
Bottle-feeding her baby became another source of anxiety, says Asha. “My feeds would come up with posts about how breast is the only way, and a thousand comments of women agreeing. The problem with social media is that everyone is an ‘expert’ and so strong in their opinions that it can suck many others in. Social media makes me feel lazy, useless, and inferior – even though I am going through the toughest time of my life.”
For Dr Christina Inge, a researcher at Harvard University specialising in the ethics of technology, these experiences are not surprising. “Social media platforms are optimised for engagement, and fear is one of the most powerful drivers of attention,” she says. “Once the algorithm detects that a person is pregnant, or might be, it begins testing content – the same as it does with any other information about a user. If a user lingers on an alarming video on pregnancy, even if just for a second, that is interpreted as interest. The system then feeds you more of the same.
‘In the months since my pregnancy ended, the content on my feeds has shifted to the new fears I could face.’ Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/The Guardian
“Distressing content isn’t a glitch; it’s engagement, and engagement is revenue,” Inge continues. “Fear-based content keeps people hooked because it creates a sense of urgency; people feel they need to keep watching, even when it’s upsetting. The platforms benefit financially, even as the psychological toll grows.”
The negative effect of social media on pregnant women has been widely researched. In August, a systematic review into social media use during pregnancy considered studies from the US, the UK, Europe and Asia. It concluded that while social media can offer peer-to-peer advice, support and health education, “challenges such as misinformation, increased anxiety and excessive use persist”. The review’s author, Dr Nida Aftab, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, highlights the role healthcare professionals should play in helping women make informed decisions about their digital habits.
Not only are pregnant women more vulnerable social media users, they may also be spending more time scrolling. A study published in Midwifery last year found there was a significant change in time spent on social media, frequency of use, and problematic use during pregnancy, all of which peaked at week 20. Additionally, 10.5% of the women in the study had a possible addiction to social media as defined by the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, meaning that social media had a significantly negative effect on their daily lives.
Looking at the wider picture, Inge suggests several ways forward. Design changes could mean that platforms deliberately use positive, evidence-based content in sensitive areas such as pregnancy, health and grief. There could be more transparency around why users are seeing certain content (with an option to recalibrate when needed), and policymakers could put stronger safeguarding measures in place on sensitive topics.
“Helping users understand that their feeds are algorithmic constructions, not neutral mirrors of reality, can help them disengage from the spiral,” Inge says. “Pregnancy and early parenthood should be protected spaces online, but they’re treated as just another data point to monetise.”
For Ashcroft, the answer to the problem is complex. “One of the issues across the board is that the technology is developing at such a rate that legislation is slow to catch up,” she says. “But in this instance, I’m not sure where the onus lies. It could be on governments to legislate for accurate information on social media, but that sounds scarily like censorship. Some social media platforms are incorporating factchecking into their platforms with AI, but these are sometimes inaccurate and hold certain biases.” Using the “I’m not interested in this” feature could help, she suggests, “but even this will not be entirely successful. The main advice I would give is to reduce your use of social media.”
At the start of the year, my baby arrived. She was healthy, and I could finally take a breath. But the relief was short-lived. In the months since my pregnancy ended and motherhood began, the content on my feeds has shifted to the new fears I could face. When I open Instagram, the suggested reels that now appear include: A video on “What NOT to do when your baby wakes up 20 minutes into their nap”; another of a baby in a carrier overlaid with the text “THIS IS REALLY NOT SAFE”; and a clip of a toddler with a piece of Lego in its mouth with the warning: “This could happen to your child if you don’t know how to act.”
Is there a chance that this content makes me a better, more diligent and informed parent? Perhaps some of it does. But at what cost? The recent Online Safety Act has forced us to face our societal responsibility to protect vulnerable groups when they browse online. But as long as the constant, lingering threat of doom, despair and misinformation haunts the smartphones of new and expectant mothers, while social media companies monetise their fears, we are failing in this duty.
Certain brain cells are responsible for coordinating smooth, controlled movements of the body. But when those cells are constantly overactivated for weeks on end, they degenerate and ultimately die. This new observation made by scientists at Gladstone Institutes may help explain what goes awry in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers have long known that a particular subset of neurons die as Parkinson’s disease progresses, but they aren’t sure why. The new work, published in the scientific journal eLife, shows that in mice, chronic activation of these neurons can directly cause their demise. The scientists hypothesize that in Parkinson’s, neuron overactivation could be triggered by a combination of genetic factors, environmental toxins, and the need to compensate for other neurons that are lost.
“An overarching question in the Parkinson’s research field has been why the cells that are most vulnerable to the disease die,” says Gladstone Investigator Ken Nakamura, MD, PhD, who led the study. “Answering that question could help us understand why the disease occurs and point toward new ways to treat it.”
Too Much Buzz
More than 8 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative brain disease that causes tremors, slowed movement, stiff muscles, and problems walking and balancing.
Scientists know that a set of neurons that produce dopamine and support voluntary movements die in people with Parkinson’s. Many lines of evidence also suggest that the activity of these cells actually increases with disease, both before and after degeneration begins. But whether this change in activity can directly cause cell death is poorly understood.
In the new study, Nakamura and his colleagues tackled this question by introducing a receptor specifically into dopamine neurons in mice that allowed them to increase the cells’ activity by treating the animals with a drug, clozapin-N-oxide (CNO). Uniquely, the scientists added CNO to the animals’ drinking water, driving chronic activation of the neurons.
“In previous work, we and others have transiently activated these cells with injections of CNO or by other means, but that only led to short bursts of activation,” says Katerina Rademacher, a graduate student in Nakamura’s lab and first author of the study. “By delivering CNO through drinking water, we get a relatively continuous activation of the cells, and we think that’s important in modeling what happens in people with Parkinson’s disease.”
Within a few days of overactivating dopamine neurons, the animals’ typical cycle of daytime and nighttime activities became disrupted. After one week, the researchers could detect degeneration of the long projections (called axons) extending from some dopamine neurons. By one month, the neurons were beginning to die.
Importantly, the changes mostly affected one subset of dopamine neurons — those found in the region of the brain known as the substantia nigra, which is responsible for movement control — while sparing dopamine neurons in brain regions responsible for motivation and emotions. This is the same pattern of cellular degeneration seen in people with Parkinson’s disease.
A Link to Human Disease
To gain insight into why overactivation leads to neuronal degeneration, the researchers studied the molecular changes that occurred in the dopamine neurons before and after the overactivation. They showed that overactivation of the neurons led to changes in calcium levels and in the expression of genes related to dopamine metabolism.
“In response to chronic activation, we think the neurons may try to avoid excessive dopamine — which can be toxic — by decreasing the amount of dopamine they produce,” Rademacher explains. “Over time, the neurons die, eventually leading to insufficient dopamine levels in the brain areas that support movement.”
When the researchers measured the levels of genes in brain samples from patients with early-stage Parkinson’s, they found similar changes; genes related to dopamine metabolism, calcium regulation, and healthy stress responses were turned down.
The research did not reveal why activity of the dopamine neurons might increase with Parkinson’s disease, but Nakamura hypothesizes that there could be multiple causes, including genetic and environmental factors. The overactivity could also be part of a vicious cycle initiated early in disease. As dopamine neurons become overactive, they gradually shut down dopamine production, which worsens movement problems. Remaining neurons work even harder to compensate, ultimately leading to cell exhaustion and death.
“If that’s the case, it raises the exciting possibility that adjusting the activity patterns of vulnerable neurons with drugs or deep brain stimulation could help protect them and slow disease progression,” Nakamura says.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) could potentially detect gravitational waves from an alien spacecraft as it makes its way through our galaxy, according to a team of physicists.
The LIGO experiment is awesome even without the potential for finding intelligent alien life. It was aimed at detecting gravitational waves (GWs) – ripples in spacetime, hypothesized over a century ago.
“Einstein first predicted gravitational waves in 1916 as a consequence of the general theory of relativity,” Barry C. Barish of the California Institute of Technology explains in a paper. “In this theory, concentrations of mass (or energy) warp space-time, and changes in the shape or position of such objects cause a distortion that propagates through the Universe at the speed of light (i.e., a gravitational wave).”
Detecting gravitational waves is tricky and requires sensitive equipment in LIGO’s two 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) long arms. But conceptually, it is quite simple to get your head around.
“All you need to build a gravitational-wave interferometer is two light beams, travelling between pairs of mirrors down pipes running in different directions, say north and west. The effect of a passing gravitational wave should stretch space in one direction and shrink it in the direction that is at right angles,” Ed Daw, Reader in Physics at the University of Sheffield, explains in a piece for The Conversation.
“On Earth, that would cause the mirrors to swing by tiny amounts, so that the distance between one pair of mirrors gets smaller, while the other gets larger. The swinging is actually the mirrors responding to the stretching and compression of space-time, which is just amazing.”
Detectors monitor subtle changes in distances caused by gravitational waves passing over the Earth, witnessing events that cause shifts less than 1/10,000th the width of a proton. Using this setup, LIGO became the first experiment to detect gravitational waves, and much more beyond that.
According to an international team of physicists, LIGO and its successors could be used to detect something a lot more exciting, and a lot more unlikely: alien spaceships.
“Since any system involving the bulk acceleration of mass produces GWs, new signal candidates include not only astrophysical and cosmological events, but also technological signals (technosignatures), such as those generated by rapid and/or massive accelerating spacecraft (RAMAcraft),” the team explains in their paper, which has not been peer reviewed. “We can already perform targeted searches for any such object simply by calculating its GW signal and plugging the result into existing detection pipelines.”
The idea here is pretty simple too. If a spacecraft has sufficient mass and accelerates fast enough, it too will produce detectable gravitational waves, though picking it out as a non-natural event would remain an incredibly tricky task. According to the team’s calculations, in order for such a craft to be detected by LIGO, it would have to be pretty astronomically large.
“We find on the upper end of our results that Jupiter mass RAMAcraft undergoing a change in velocity of Δ𝑣 ∼ 0.3 𝑐 are detectable from 10–100 kpc, or up to within range of about every star in the Milky Way,” the team explains. “On the lower end, we find that Moon masses undergoing Δ𝑣 ∼ 0.3 𝑐 are detectable from 1–10 pc, or at and beyond the distance to the nearest stars in our Galaxy.”
In short, if an alien species decided to create a spaceship the size of Jupiter and take it for a joy ride, accelerating it up to around 30 percent the speed of light, we could detect its gravitational waves from around 32,600 to 326,000 light-years away. Any smaller spacecraft (but still the size of the freaking Moon) undergoing similar acceleration could be detected from 3,260 to 32,600 light-years away. Future detectors may be able to detect smaller ships, or large ships undergoing smaller accelerations.
“We find that DECIGO and the Big Bang Observer (BBO) will increase the search volume for these objects by a factor of 106, while both LISA and PTAs may also provide benefits for detecting RAMAcraft undergoing long acceleration periods. More generally, the shifting of any detector frequency band by a factor 𝛿 < 1 will increase the detection range by 𝛿 −1 for burst searches and 𝛿 −1/2 for MF searches,” the team concludes.
“The prospect of improving our sensitivity to these objects is therefore promising, and is furthermore coupled to low-frequency detector improvements that are of a particular interest to the fundamental physics community as well.”
While an interesting idea, the team stress that unusual detections could still represent natural phenomena, and urge skepticism. Nevertheless, it’s good to know that this groundbreaking physics experiment could detect alien spacecraft, albeit as a side-effect of its work.
Frizz, dryness, breakage, and dullness can make hair hard to manage, and often the root cause is a lack of nourishment. Vitamin E oil has become a trusted solution because it supports hair from the inside out. This nutrient-rich oil helps smooth rough strands, protects against environmental stress, and supports the scalp for long-term hair health. It is not just another beauty trend but a natural way to maintain healthy hair.An official study published in the Journal Tropical Life Sciences Research in 2010 found that people who took vitamin E supplements for eight months had a significant increase in hair count compared to those given a placebo. Researchers linked these improvements to vitamin E’s ability to reduce oxidative stress and improve scalp circulation, both of which are important for preventing thinning and breakage. While applying vitamin E oil directly to the scalp is not the same as supplementation, experts suggest that topical use can still nourish the scalp, protect hair shafts, and support overall growth.
Vitamin E oil for hair growth
Vitamin E oil supports hair growth by improving blood circulation in the scalp, ensuring that follicles receive more oxygen and nutrients. This makes the environment for hair growth healthier and stronger. Many people find that consistent use of vitamin E oil reduces hair shedding and encourages new growth.By lowering oxidative stress, vitamin E oil also helps protect hair follicles from damage caused by pollution and UV exposure, which are two major contributors to premature thinning. A weekly scalp massage with diluted vitamin E oil not only stimulates circulation but also relaxes the scalp, which can indirectly reduce hair fall caused by stress.
Vitamin E oil for scalp health
A healthy scalp is the foundation for shiny, thick hair, and vitamin E oil plays a big role in achieving this. It balances natural oil production so the scalp does not become overly greasy or dry. Its antioxidant properties help neutralize free radicals that damage skin cells, while its anti-inflammatory effects soothe irritation and redness. Many people dealing with mild dandruff find that applying vitamin E oil mixed with coconut or jojoba oil calms the scalp and reduces flakiness. By keeping the scalp hydrated and free from buildup, vitamin E oil ensures that hair follicles remain unclogged and capable of producing healthy strands.
Vitamin E oil for shine and strength
Vitamin E oil works like a natural conditioner that instantly boosts shine and softness. When applied, it coats each hair shaft, sealing in moisture and smoothing rough cuticles. This makes hair reflect more light, giving it a glossy finish. Over time, the oil also strengthens the hair structure, reducing the risk of breakage and split ends.People with heat-damaged or chemically treated hair can benefit from vitamin E oil because it helps repair weak strands. Adding just a few drops of diluted vitamin E oil to a leave-in conditioner can make hair more manageable, tangle-free, and resistant to everyday wear and tear.
How to use vitamin E oil for hair
Pure vitamin E oil is thick and sticky, so it is best to dilute it with lighter carrier oils like coconut, almond, or jojoba oil before applying. To use, warm the mixture slightly, massage it gently into the scalp for 10 to 15 minutes, and leave it on for at least 30 minutes before washing. For deeper hydration, it can also be left overnight if blended with a lighter oil. Apart from direct application, vitamin E can be found in shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and serums, making it easy to add to your routine. Consistency is important, and using vitamin E oil once or twice a week is enough to see visible results without overwhelming the scalp.
Precautions when using vitamin E oil for hair
Although vitamin E oil is safe for most people, overuse can cause clogged pores, scalp irritation, or greasy buildup. Always start with a small amount and perform a patch test before applying it fully. People with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis should consult a dermatologist before use.Pure vitamin E oil should not be applied daily, as too much can suffocate hair follicles rather than help them. Blending it with other oils and using it sparingly ensures that your hair gets the benefits without side effects.Vitamin E oil has been shown to improve circulation, reduce oxidative stress, and strengthen both scalp and strands. Supported by scientific research, this oil is a simple yet powerful addition to a haircare routine. With regular use, it can encourage growth, restore shine, repair damage, and protect hair from everyday stress. Whether applied directly or used in hair products, vitamin E oil remains one of the most effective natural remedies for long-lasting hair health.Also read| Using the same loofah might be your worst beauty mistake: Study
From medicine to electronics and optics, new materials developed by scientists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) can be applied in various fields where cleanliness, precision, and durability are essential. They stand out not only for their functionality but also for their sustainability: they are made from renewable raw materials, and no solvents are used during production.
“Advanced materials can be not only functional, but also friendly to people and the environment. Such work paves the way for technologies that contribute to a safer and more sustainable everyday life,” says Professor Jolita Ostrauskaitė at the KTU Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology.
The new invention – polymers developed by KTU researchers – belongs to the class of vitrimers, a relatively new type of polymer discovered only about three decades ago and named vitrimers just 15 years ago. This makes it a rapidly growing research field that is attracting increasing attention from scientists worldwide.
A more environmentally friendly solution
According to Ostrauskaitė, until now most vitrimers were derived from petroleum resources and required catalysts for processing.
“The polymers we have developed are unique because they are made from plant-based compounds, cured under UV or visible light, and do not require catalysts for processing. This happens naturally due to the chemical structure of the material itself,” emphasises the scientist.
This is important not only because it simplifies the technological process but also for sustainability – catalysts are often expensive, derived from non-renewable resources, or even toxic. By eliminating them, material consumption is reduced, no additional additives are needed, and the technology becomes simpler, safer, and more environmentally friendly.
“Vitrimers are thermosetting polymers that, thanks to dynamic covalent bonds, can be thermally reprocessed or reshaped, similar to thermoplastics. At certain temperatures, they can self-heal after damage and also retain a temporary shape that can later be restored – this is known as thermally responsive shape memory,” explains prof. Ostrauskaitė.
These materials were developed and studied by researchers from the Department of Polymer Chemistry and Technology at KTU: KTU PhD student Viltė Šereikaitė, Dr. Aukse Navaruckienė, and Dr. Sigita Grauželienė.
Polymers with such properties are considered smart materials, opening new possibilities for advanced high-tech applications.
KTU scientist notes that the most significant scientific achievement was combining, in a single material, plant-based origin, radiation-induced polymerisation, self-repairing ability, shape memory, antimicrobial effect, and suitability for optical 3D printing.
“Such multifunctional and sustainable solutions are still very rare, making this an important step forward both scientifically and industrially,” says KTU researcher.
Tested in 3D printing and medicine
One of the most notable achievements by KTU researchers is the polymers’ suitability for optical 3D printing, which can be performed at room temperature, consumes less energy, and generates less waste. When exposed to UV or visible light, these polymers can be printed in complex shapes, such as medical device connectors.
