The hue of innovation is apparently still vivid at longtime technology powerhouse "Big Blue," otherwise known as IBM, which has just discovered a new class of polymers.

Widely used in manufacturing, especially in the development of plastics, polymers are chemical compounds made of small molecules arranged in simple, repeating structures.

The technology company told The New York Times one of its scientists accidentally left out a chemical in an experiment and, as a result, discovered two new types of polymers which are light but nonetheless strong and crack-resistant.

"These new materials are the first to demonstrate resistance to cracking, strength higher than bone, the ability to reform to their original shape ... all while being completely recyclable back to their starting material," a company news release said. "Also, these materials can be transformed into new polymer structures to further bolster their strength by 50 percent, making them ultra-strong and lightweight."

IBM, officially named International Business Machines Corporation, asserts the new materials can potentially "transform manufacturing and fabrication in the fields of transportation, aerospace and microelectronics."

Scientists had long believed all major types of plastics had been discovered, however, Jeannette M. Garcia, a research chemist at IBM laboratory, was combining chemicals in an experiment when she overlooked one, The New York Times reported.

So, when Garcia returned to check the progress of her research, she found a tough new material had formed in the beaker she was using.

The Times story notes Garcia and her IBM colleagues haven't officially named the new substances yet -though their temporary code names are Titan and Hydro.

"Although there has been significant work in high-performance materials, today's engineered polymers still lack several fundamental attributes. New materials innovation is critical to addressing major global challenges, developing new products and emerging disruptive technologies," James Hedrick, an advanced organic materials scientist for the company, said in the company release.

 "We're now able to predict how molecules will respond to chemical reactions and build new polymer structures with significant guidance from computation that facilitates accelerated materials discovery," he added. "This is unique ... and allows us to address the complex needs of advanced materials for applications in transportation, microelectronic or advanced manufacturing."

This research was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Science.