World's first 4D printing for ceramics

WASHINGTON - Chinese researchers have developed the world's first 4D printing technology for ceramics, offering broad potential applications in telecommunications, electronics and even space exploration.

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong reported in a study, published on Aug 17 in the journal Science Advances, the development of a novel "ceramic ink" - a mixture of polymers and ceramic nanoparticles.

The 3D-printed ceramic precursors printed with this novel ink are soft and can be stretched three times beyond their initial length, according to the study.