Wear-resistant, moldable mineral hydroplastics via nonsolvent induced phase separation for adaptive architectural applications

The development of sustainable plastic alternatives derived from natural components, such as biopolymers and minerals, represents a promising strategy to mitigate the escalating problem of plastic pollution. Here, by employing a nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) strategy, a hydro-processable mineral-dominated structural material, called “mineral hydroplastic” (M-Hydroplastic), is developed. High-mineral-content (up to 75 wt%) hydrogels are fabricated through in-situ polymerization of specific monomers and shaped under mild conditions through polymer chain rearrangement triggered by nonsolvent exposure. Further pressing-assisted desolvation optimizes the orientation of mineral sheets, yielding hydro-processable high-mineral-content plastics with combined features of mineral (flexural strength: 90.6 MPa, hardness: 0.23 GPa, and flame retardancy) and plastic (low density of ∼1.5 g cm−3 and facile moldability). Combined experimental and computational analyses reveal that strong intercomponent hydrogen bonding and “nacre-like” micro-structure underpin the material’s exceptional mechanical performance. This versatile strategy is applicable to various minerals, producing a family of robust hydroplastics with tunable optical, thermal, and radiative properties. Such adaptability enables the design of multifunctional, flame-retardant materials for multi-scenario energy-efficient building applications. This work reconciles ceramic-like mechanical properties with polymer-like processability, providing crucial insights into designing next-generation plastic alternatives for engineering applications.