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Smart Memory Materials That Self-Assemble Turn 3D into 4D Printing (Video)

Smart Memory Materials That Self-Assemble Turn 3D into 4D Printing. The concept of 4D printing, a term coined by Skylar Tibbits in his 2013 Ted Talk, was developed to create materials that could be manufactured or assembled in one configuration and then alter themselves by self-assembling into a second programmable configuration. The transformation could be controlled using smart materials that alter themselves based on a pre-set series of movements that would be entirely programmable. We have already seen simple 4D objects transform themselves, but until now more complex self-assembly required multiple types of stimulus that would need to be applied at specific intervals. Continue reading “Smart Memory Materials That Self-Assemble Turn 3D into 4D Printing (Video)”

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New 2-D Materials Similar to Graphene Are Now Available, Research from University of Manchester Shows

Dozens of new 2-D materials similar to graphene are now available, thanks to research from Univ. of Manchester scientists. These 2-D crystals are capable of delivering designer materials with revolutionary new properties. The problem has been that the vast majority of these atomically thin 2-D crystals are unstable in air, so react and decompose before their properties can be determined and their potential applications investigated. Continue reading “New 2-D Materials Similar to Graphene Are Now Available, Research from University of Manchester Shows”