When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as airplane and automobile parts to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in the 1980s as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and patient-specific models to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...
Polymeric materials can exhibit 10 times more piezoelectric activity than crystals and ceramics, which are the strongest known piezoelectric materials. This “fundamentally new perspective in polymer science” could revolutionize electro-active devices such as sensors, energy storage devices, and biomedical devices, according to a statement from researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Technical University Aachen in Germany.
Piezoelectricity is the charge that builds up in materials such as ceramics when mechanical stress is applied. It can also work in reverse. While working with polymers, the researchers noticed the reverse piezoelectric effect, which is defined as creating a mechanical strain by applying an electrical voltage.
“We observed this effect when two different polymer molecules like polystyrene and rubber are coupled as two blocks in a di-block copolymer,” said Volker Urban, a researcher at ORNL in a statement.
The observations made the researchers curious because non-polar polymers were not thought to be capable of demonstrating any kind of piezoelectric effect. The researchers give more details about further experiments:
Temperature-dependent studies of the molecular structure revealed an intricate balance of the repulsion between the unlike blocks and an elastic restoring force found in rubber. The electric field adds a third force that can shift the intricate balance, leading to the piezoelectric effect.
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