Researchers develop first self-healing, electrically conducive, soft material. Carnegie Mellon University engineers have developed a soft material with metal-like conductivity and self-healing properties that is the first to maintain enough electrical adhesion to support digital electronics and motors. This advance, published in Nature Electronics, marks a breakthrough in softbotics and the fields of robotics, electronics, and medicine. At Carnegie Mellon University, softbotics represents a new generation of soft machines and robots manufactured by multi-functional materials that have integrated sensing, actuation,…
Alloys that can return to their original structure after being deformed have a so-called shape memory. This phenomenon and the resulting forces are used in many mechanical actuating systems, for example in generators or hydraulic pumps. However, it has not been possible to use this shape-memory effect at a small nanoscale: Objects made of shape-memory alloy can only change back to their original shape if they are larger than around 50 nanometers. Researchers led by Salvador Pané, Professor of Materials…
… with magneto-and electro-mechanical properties has been developed. Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have created software and hardware for a 4D printer with applications in the biomedical field. In addition to 3D printing, this machine allows for controlling extra functions: programming the material’s response so that shape-changing occurs under external magnetic field, or changes in its electric properties develops under mechanical deformation. This opens the door to the design of soft robots or smart sensors and substrates…
Speeding up a camera shutter a million million times enables researchers to understand how materials move heat around and is a major step in advancing sustainable energy applications. Researchers are coming to understand that the best performing materials in sustainable energy applications, such as converting sunlight or waste heat to electricity, often use collective fluctuations of clusters of atoms within a much larger structure. This process is often referred to as “dynamic disorder.” Dynamic disorder Understanding dynamic disorder in materials…
Recently, a team led by Prof. ZHANG Shiwu from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and their collaborators from UK and Australia developed a new electro-mechano responsive elastomer that autonomously adjust stiffness, conductivity and strain sensitivity in response to changes in external mechanical loads and electrical signals. Their research was published in Science Advances. Nowadays, more and more application scenarios like soft robotics and medical surgical equipment call for self-tunable intelligent materials. A widely adopted solution is…
Intercalation of indium into nanostructures promises applications to nanocircuitry. Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have successfully threaded atoms of indium metal in between individual fibers in bundles of transition metal chalcogenide nanofibers. By steeping the bundles in indium gas, rows of atoms were able to make their way in between the fibers to create a unique nanostructure via intercalation. Through simulations and resistivity measurements, individual bundles were shown to have metallic properties, paving the way for application as flexible nanowires…
Framework structure with nano insulation enables components for soft robotics and flexible electronics. Classical robots, such as those used for manufacturing, can lift heavy loads and repeat automated processes precisely. But they are too rigid and bulky for delicate work and interaction with humans. The research field of soft robotics works on the development of robots made of soft, organic materials and flexible technical components. Materials researchers at Kiel University have now developed a novel soft conductive material. Unlike conventional…
Large quantities of hydrogen will be needed to ensure a successful energy transition. As part of the HighHy project, an international team of researchers from Germany and New Zealand is working on improving the efficiency of the emerging AEM electrolysis technology to produce green hydrogen. To make this possible, scientists from the Fraunhofer IFAM in Dresden have turned to the readily available and resource-saving metals manganese and nickel in a bid to introduce this promising electrolysis process to large-scale industry….
Quantum materials for electroluminescent QD-LED displays, fast inline monitoring for thin film printing or stretchable printed electrodes. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in the Potsdam Science Park demonstrate what is already technologically possible in the field of printed electronics and present current projects at LOPEC 2023 in Munich from March 1 to 2 (ICM, booth FO.16). LOPEC is the leading trade fair and the most important congress for printed electronics. Inks for brilliant displays They…
Extracted human teeth have long been used in conducting dental research, such as evaluating dental ceramic materials as a crown restoration on tooth. It is an inexpensive and straightforward process that simulates clinical situations. However, the collection and use of extracted human teeth is becoming increasingly difficult given the concerns about COVID-19, size-standardisation issues, and also time constraints. All these factors have prompted a need for dentine analogue materials that could potentially substitute extracted human teeth in laboratory-based mechanical and…
Controlling one-dimensional wormhole corrosion could help advance power plant designs. It started with a mystery: How did molten salt breach its metal container? Understanding the behavior of molten salt, a proposed coolant for next-generation nuclear reactors and fusion power, is a question of critical safety for advanced energy production. The multi-institutional research team, co-led by Penn State, initially imaged a cross-section of the sealed container, finding no clear pathway for the salt appearing on the outside. The researchers then used…
Insights into supersonic phasons may improve accuracy of simulations. Warming a crystal of the mineral fresnoite, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists discovered that excitations called phasons carried heat three times farther and faster than phonons, the excitations that usually carry heat through a material. “Neutrons were ideal for exploring these sources of heat transport because they interact with both phasons and phonons,” said Michael Manley, who led the study with Raphael Hermann. In most crystals, atomic vibrations propagate excited waves through the…
Increasing demands on sheet metal forming processes require ever more extensive experimental characterizations of the original base materials. At the same time, the characterization tests used are constantly facing new challenges due to the use of thinner sheets of metal. The Virtual Lab of the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg provides a remedy for this: It determines the necessary characteristic values for the design of sheet metal forming processes via simulation. The Fraunhofer IWM is cooperating…
Dust is a common fact of life, and it’s more than just a daily nuisance – it can get into machinery and equipment, causing loss of efficiency or breakdowns. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin partnered with North Carolina-based company Smart Material Solutions Inc. to develop a new method to keep dust from sticking to surfaces. The result is the ability to make many types of materials dust resistant, from spacecraft to solar panels to household windows. The…
A novel membrane using a combination of a water filteration membrane and conductive polymer, Water quality improvement and continuous electricity generation using a simple operation method. The purification of various water resources, such as rain, seawater, groundwater, river water, sewage, and wastewater, into potable or usable water is a high-energy process. So, what if electricity could be generated during the water purification process? In the spotlight, a domestic research team has developed a multifunctional membrane that can simultaneously generate electricity…
Reactive fabrics respond to changes in temperature. New textiles developed at Aalto University change shape when they heat up, giving designers a wide range of new options. In addition to offering adjustable aesthetics, responsive smart fabrics could also help monitor people’s health, improve thermal insulation, and provide new tools for managing room acoustics and interior design. The new fabrics weave together old technology and a new approach. Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) were developed in the 1980s. LCEs are a smart…
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