In previous work, the engineers in China utilized origami and the associated technique of kirigami, which combines cutting with folding, to shape soft materials of polymers. In this more recent study, they wanted to extend these strategies to glass and ceramics, “which are much harder to process into intricate shapes,” Tao Xie, the lead scientist, said in a press release.
A team of chemical engineers in China has extended the centuries-old practice of origami to produce sophisticated shapes made out of glass or other difficult materials. Their modern method, which can be integrated with 3D printing, might have a broad variety of applications, the researchers said, from sculpture to catalysis and beyond.
Glass styles (left) can be made with origami and cutting methods, which can be integrated with 3D printing to make more intricate shapes, such as a 3D lattice (right). Image credits: Yang Xu.
Origami originates from the Japanese words ori (” folding”) and kami (” paper”). It consists of folding a sheet of square paper into a sculpture without taping, gluing or sufficing. While primarily considered a Japanese art, the history of origami actually walks around the world, with roots in China, where paper was invented, and in European nations.
A twist to origami
The standard approaches to shaping glass and ceramics include using molds or 3D printing technology to attain the intended final kind. However, a mold cant produce a complicated shape, and while 3D printers can, they take a very long time to make the things– which tends to be flimsy and require additional assistance during its creation.
The composite kept its shape really well if they did this at space temperature. This is since the folding and stretching procedure disrupts the interface of the silica particles and the polymer matrix. But if its crucial to completely keep the shape in the next actions, the researchers discovered that the composite needs to be heated when folded and stretched.
Seeking options, the scientists produced a strategy that blends nanoparticles of silica, the primary active ingredient for making glass, into a liquid with numerous compounds. Treating the mixture with UV light produced a polymer with beads of silica suspended in it. They then cut, folded, twisted and pulled on sheets of this polymer composite.
” When you fold a piece of paper, the level of intricacy is somewhat restricted, and 3D printing is sort of slow,” Xie said in a media statement. “So we wished to see if we could integrate these two techniques to make the most of their appealing attributes. That would provide us the freedom to make nearly any shaped part.”
Next, the researchers want to automate their process for large-scale manufacturing. They think that the total artistic community can discover more about their work and utilize it in catalyst and sculpture style, in addition to for other functions. Their research existed at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Looking for alternatives, the scientists developed a method that blends nanoparticles of silica, the primary active ingredient for making glass, into a liquid with a number of compounds. If they did this at room temperature level, the composite kept its shape extremely well. If its critical to totally keep the shape in the next actions, the scientists found that the composite has to be warmed when folded and stretched.
They initially warmed the composite to 130 ° C and after that to 600 ° C, which removed the polymer from the item and turns it opaque. After cooling, a third heating action melts the silica particles together at 1200 ° C to convert the item into a clear glass with a smooth, non-layered texture. Attaining that complete openness was the most significant challenge, they stated.
After cooling, a 3rd heating action melts the silica particles together at 1200 ° C to convert the things into a clear glass with a smooth, non-layered texture.” When you fold a piece of paper, the level of complexity is rather minimal, and 3D printing is kind of slow,” Xie stated in a media statement.
The researchers are likewise extending their method beyond glass to ceramics, replacing the silica with substances such as zirconium dioxide and titanium dioxide. While glass is fragile and inert, these compounds open up the possibility of producing “functional” objects, such as products that are less fragile than glass or have catalytic properties.
