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Materials

Innovation in ceramic, composite, shape-memory polymers and other materials for the manufacture by 3D and 4D printing

Shape-memory polymers (SMPs) are able to recover their original shape from a deformed shape under certain circumstances, such as when exposed to a temperature for a period of time. Depending on the polymer, there may be a variety of configurations that the material may take in a number of temperature conditions.

Digital SMPs utilize 3D-printing technology to precisely engineer the placement, geometry, and mixing and curing ratios of SMPs with differing properties, such as glass transition or crystal-melt transition temperatures.

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Stress relaxation in 4D printing is a process in which a material assembly is created under stress that becomes "stored" within the material. This stress can later be released, causing an overall material shape change