This article is free for you and free from outside influence. To keep things this way, we finance it through advertising, ad-free subscriptions, and shopping links. If you purchase using a shopping link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Bio-Inspired

ETH Zurich Researchers Print Tough Hierarchical Liquid-Crystal-Polymer Structures

by Hanna Watkin
Published Sep 17, 2018

Researchers from ETH Zurich, Switzerland have used an FDM 3D printer and liquid-crystal-polymers to create lightweight structures tough enough to rival purpose-built fiber-reinforced materials. The method is inspired by natural materials such as bone and spider's silk, relying upon the orientation of elements of the material at the molecular level for its strength.