Scientists in Hong Kong have found that an elastomeric precursor allows 4D printing of mechanically robust shapes with complex geometry, with potential applications in electronics and aerospace.Four-dimensional printing refers to the manufacture of geometries that can reshape or self-assemble, with the influence of external stimuli.It is particularly applicable to ceramics which are very difficult to print into complex shapes.This has been a barrier to the structural application of ceramics, with the result that they have been largely excluded from the revolution that 3D printing has brought to the use of polymers and metals. The development from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is to use a "ceramic ink"to print flexible forms that can be turned into a conventional ceramic material with heat treatment.
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