New research from a team at New York University may have significant implications for materials research and lead to sharpened detail in 3D printing. Published in Nature Materials, the study examines how variations in temperatures can cause microscopic particles to change their behavior in such a way as to hint at a future of materials that can adapt to their surrounding environment.
Using polymers, one-billionth of a meter in size, and colloids, one-millionth of a meter in size, the researchers found that applying moderate heat to microscopic particles will cause them to melt, but, with increasing temperatures, the same particles will re-connect. The team first observed, at room temperature, that polymers collide with the larger colloids, pressuring them together and forming a crystal. They then heated the substance further, first witnessing the melting of the crystals, but, with even greater temperatures, observed that the substance re-solidifies into a gelatin like substance, the result of a force called “enthalpic attraction.”
Collodial dispersions can be found in many common items, ranging from paint and milk to glass and porcelain. The NYU study points to future smart materials, in which these microscopic particles can be triggered to change the shape of an object. Lang Feng, lead author and a doctoral student at the time of the research, explains, “These findings show the potential to engineer the properties of materials using not only temperature, but also by employing a range of methods to manipulate the smallest of particles.”
Without going into detail, Feng believes that, by manipulating these particles in the 3D printing process, it may be possible to create objects that are more highly detailed and realistic than currently achievable. He may be suggesting that 3D printing could work on the microscopic level, heating and cooling groups of particles with greater control. I’ve contacted the study’s lead author, currently a senior researcher at ExxonMobile, for more information, but, at the time of publication, have not heard back.…
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