Can plastic razor blades cut?

Yes.

Will they stay in place? Can a razor cut off your scalp? No.

The same is true for every home appliance, medical device, surgical instrument or tool, or any piece of technology. The only products that can cut are those that are constructed of metals, glass, ceramics or composites such as carbon fiber and thermoplastics. But those materials still suffer from limitations. Even if they are designed to stay in place, they may not prevent tissue damage if there is a sharp impact with an out-of-place appendage.

For decades, engineers have been developing bio-inspired materials to overcome the limitations of plastics. It has only been over the last decade that this has begun to take hold in everyday life. This special report highlights the advances in bio-inspired materials and introduces three products that show how their success has impacted the rest of our lives. They range from an innovative way to capture and clean water to a flexible, yet strong, alternative to metal wire. In short, the benefits of bio-inspired materials have extended far beyond the laboratory.

"The bio-inspired materials field has come a long way over the last few years," says Michael Hahn, executive director of UB's Research Foundation. "From the lab to the marketplace, these materials have made it to market and changed the way that we look at products."

Innovation in bio-inspired materials began with the discovery of the ability of proteins to self-assemble into ordered, functional, synthetic biomaterials, says Dabria Pasternak, UB assistant professor of chemistry and director of the Center for Bio-Inspired Materials. "A protein or other biological material is an organic molecule, just like a polypropylene or nylon. When it interacts with its environment, it goes through a specific process to form a polymer. It is not dissimilar to how a living thing assembles and interacts with its environment."

Since proteins contain the same structural building blocks found in all living cells, scientists have begun using biological materials to develop materials for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. "For tissue engineering, most synthetic biomaterials are not biocompatible because they do not interact with the biological environment like the body," says Pasternak. "But when proteins are the source of the chemical building blocks that make up synthetic biomaterials, they become truly biocompatible.

How good are plastic razor blades?

That depends, of course, on how you shave.

But in my experience, they can be as good as a metal razor and, in fact, better than metal razors at giving you the smooth skin you like. I've used the same plastic blades since I switched from a straight razor to a safety razor about four years ago, and I'd recommend them to anyone looking to switch from straight to safety razor, or from one kind of safety razor to another.

I've been using plastic razors for decades, and if you ever get to the point where you're frustrated with your razor, consider giving them a try. You'll find yourself asking, "Who needs to shave?" just as much as the last time you used a metal blade. And while that's a great question to askso are you looking for a new razor? The plastic blades are great as a stopgap solution until you decide to upgrade.

In an ideal world, plastic blades are disposable. Each time you shave, it's like pulling the razor away from a piece of freshly shaved leather. I'm not aware of plastic razors that offer this kind of feeling to the user. That said, plastic razors are more expensive than their metal counterparts, which is why you see them in luxury hotels and department stores, and why they're found in drugstores where customers expect higher-quality products.

Plastic Razor Blades Explained. When you first start using a plastic razor, it's easy to think that these are the same plastic razors that you've been using for years. But plastic blades are made of different plastics that are all shaped in a very specific way. Each brand of plastic blade has a name that tells you how the blade was made. You'll also notice the color of the plastic blade. If it's clear, it means the plastic has been injected into a mold. This is the more expensive type of plastic, since it has a longer life and is stronger than other types of plastic, but it does add cost.

The blue color of the plastic blade means the plastic has been extruded, using a plastic material pulled out of a barrel by a screw that slowly turns the barrel back and forth, forcing the material out of a hole at the end of the barrel. It's similar to the way an inkjet printer works, and cheaper plastic blades have been extruded from this method since the late 1970s.

What are plastic scraper blades used for?

The plastic mesh or blade is a useful tool to smooth away the layer of paint that has stuck to an uneven spot on the walls.

The use of scraper blades can also help in getting off paint that has been applied unevenly. These plastic scraper blades are available in different designs. You can choose from the plastic mesh, flat scraper blade or rounded blade depending upon your choice. You can find these scraper blades used for painting at most building materials stores, paint and home decor suppliers.