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A D V A N C E D
M A T E R I A L S
&
P R O C E S S E S |
M A Y / J U N E
2 0 1 7
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SUPERELASTIC AEROGELS
LEND A HELPING HAND
Chemists at Missouri University
of Science and Technology, Rolla, are
making polymeric aerogels with rub-
berlike elasticity that can remember
their original shapes. “The specific kind
of polyurethane aerogels we have cre-
ated are superelastic, meaning they can
be bent in any direction or be smashed
flat and still return to their original
shape,” explains lead researcher Nicho-
las Leventis. “Our superelastic aerogels
are different from rubber in that they
can return to a specific form on com-
mand. That is, they also show a strong
shape memory effect, meaning they
can be deformed and cooled and keep
the deformed shape forever. However,
when the temperature rises to room
temperature, they recover their original
undeformed shape.”
As part of the project, Leventis
and his group created a bionic hand
capable of mimicking coordinated
muscle functions. When stimulated
by heat, the aerogel can close from its
open-palm state and grab a pen. “We
believe this work has produced one of
the ‘holy grails’ in the field of aerogels,”
says Leventis. “I see a lot of biomimetic
applications for these aerogels in the
future. Their flexibility, combined with
elasticity, greatly enhances the range of
possible uses.” news.mst.edu.
Are you working with or have you
discovered a material or its properties
that exhibit OMG - Outrageous
Materials Goodness?
Send your submissions to
Frances Richards at
frances.richard .
OMG!
OUTRAGEOUS MATERIALS GOODNESS
Metallic space fabric created using 3D
printing techniques that add di‚erent
functionality to each side of the material.
Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech.
“Graphene—IPA Ink” by James Macleod,
University of Cambridge.
passive heat management, foldability,
and tensile strength. One side reflects
light while the other absorbs it, acting
as a means of thermal control. They
can also fold in many different ways
and adapt to various shapes, but are
sturdy enough to handle pulling forces.
.
CONDUCTIVE INK WINS
PHOTO CONTEST
An image of spectacular swirling
graphene ink in alcohol, which can be
used to print electrical circuits onto
paper, won the overall prize in a re-
nowned science photography compe-
tition, organized by the UK’s Engineer-
ing and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC). “Graphene—IPA Ink,”
by James Macleod of the University of
Cambridge, shows powdered graph-
ite in alcohol, which produces a con-
ductive ink. The ink is forced at high
pressure through micrometer-scale
capillaries made of diamond. This
rips the layers apart and results in a
very smooth and conductive material in
solution. .
FUNCTIONAL
FABRIC
BLASTS OFF
Raul Polit Casil-
las, whose mother
is a fashion design-
er in Spain, grew up
around fabrics. Now
a systems engineer at
NASA’s Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) in
Pasadena, Calif., he
is still immersed in the textiles world,
designing advanced woven metal ma-
terials for space. These fabrics could
be useful for large antennas and other
deployable devices because the materi-
al is foldable and its shape can change
quickly. The fabrics could also be used
for spacesuits and to shield spacecraft
from meteorites, among other applica-
tions. The prototypes that Polit Casil-
las and his team have created look like
chain mail, with small silver squares
strung together. But they are not sewn
by hand: They are printed using addi-
tive manufacturing.
“We call it ‘4D printing’ because
we can print both the geometry and
function of these materials,” says Polit
Casillas. “If 20th century manufactur-
ing was driven by mass production,
then this is the mass production of
functions.” The space fabrics provide
four essential functions: reflectivity,
Bionic hand used to demonstrate biomimetic properties.
Courtesy of SamO’Keefe, Missouri S&T.