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Grass Condoms Aim To Be Thinnest But 'Strongest In The World'

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Feb 15, 2016 02:17 AM EST

Now here is a new kind of condom that might take you pretty close to the "real thing".

Scientists from The University of Queensland have hit upon a new technique of making condoms that can be as thin as human hair, but do not lose any strength.

They have used Australian native spinifex grass, explained in the university's press release.

This grass is used by local tribes as an adhesive, making the condom the "strongest in the world."

"The great thing about our nano-cellulose is that it's a flexible nano-additive, so we can make a stronger and thinner membrane that is supple and flexible, which is the holy grail for natural rubber," said Darren Martin, a member of the research team.

"We tested our latex formulation on a commercial dipping line in the United States and conducted a burst test that inflates condoms and measures the volume and pressure, and on average got a performance increase of 20 percent in pressure and 40 percent in volume compared to the commercial latex control sample," he added.

So when they made it first, the condom was 45 microns thick, unlike the conventional ones that were about 60 to 70 microns. However, a few "ultra-thin" condoms could even be as low as 20 microns.

Currently, the team keeps its aims high, seeking for a latex condom that is 30 percent thinner, even as it is able to pass the health standards.

"Late last year we were able to get down to about 45 microns on our very first commercial dipping run, which is around the width of the hair on your head," said Martin.

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