On existing models of 3D printers, you can print almost anything and from any material. However, experts from the University of Hong Kong found something to surprise: they learned how to print products of complex shapes from ceramics using 4D printing technology.
First, let's figure out what the essence of 4D printing technology is: it allows you to first create parts using a technique similar to that used in conventional three-dimensional printing, but then the resulting products will change shape when exposed to temperature, pressure, light, magnetic field and so on.
According to the editors of Science Advances, special ceramic inks have even been developed for this purpose. In their composition, ceramic particles are combined with a polymer that imparts plasticity. According to the study's lead author, Professor Zheng Liu, After many years of testing, scientists managed to create an elastic ceramic precursor and a printer for printing using two methods at once: at the first stage, a blank is created, and at the second stage, it is fine-tuned using special conditions. At this stage, deformation occurs due to the use of kinetic energy embedded in the polymer component of the ink.
To demonstrate the technology, the scientists printed a shell shaped like the Sydney Opera House.
According to the authors, elastic structures can be stretched three times without weakening the strength. At the same time, after firing in a furnace, the resulting parts are difficult to distinguish from real ceramics.
Vladimir Kuznetsov
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