self-healing tagged posts

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...

Imagine that products could be strengthened with the same living materials that provide nutrients to strengthen trees. Professor Qiming Wang’s research lab is one of the first to infuse 3-D printer ink with living material. The material has potential for greater strength, to be flexible and self-heal. The work is documented in a paper published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The idea for this bio-inspired ink came from trees that harness the power of photosynthesis to produce glucose that transform to cellulose and strengthen the plant’s cell structure. “When trees are young,” says Wang, “they are flexible, when they are mature, they are rigid.”

“The research idea is also inspired by Popeye the Sailor, the animated character who can strengthen his muscle...

Rensselaer team finds solution to persistent problem facing potassium-metal batteries. Researchers demonstrate how they can overcome dendrites to create a metal battery that performs nearly as well as a lithium-ion battery, but relies on potassium – a much more abundant and less expensive element.

If you were to look inside a lithium-ion battery you’d typically find a cathode made of lithium cobalt oxide and an anode made of graphite. During charging and discharging, lithium ions flow back and forth between these two electrodes.

In this setup, if researchers were to simply replace lithium cobalt oxide with potassium cobalt oxide, performance would drop...

Lithium-ion batteries are notorious for developing internal electrical shorts that can ignite a battery’s liquid electrolytes, leading to explosions and fires. Engineers at the University of Illinois have developed a solid polymer-based electrolyte that can self-heal after damage – and the material can also be recycled without the use of harsh chemicals or high temperatures.

The new study, which could help manufacturers produce recyclable, self-healing commercial batteries, is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

As lithium-ion batteries go throug...