Advanced Materials

Gymnast of chemicals, the awesome hydrogel is a 3D network of hydrophilic polymers like a giant molecule that can swell in water and hold at least 10% of water while maintaining a well-defined structure. Medical hydrogels currently dominate hydrogel publicity, patents, and research but the rest will become a larger business 2022-2042.

Researchers have developed a new technology for producing cost-effective batteries from medical waste. The authors of the research claim that their technology could turn waste that is difficult to recycle into raw materials, according to a study published in the Journal of Energy Storage.

A research team has developed a graphene-inorganic-hybrid micro-supercapacitor made of leaves using femtosecond direct laser writing lithography. The advancement of wearable electronic devices is synonymous with innovations in flexible energy storage devices. Of the various energy storage devices, micro-supercapacitors have drawn a great deal of interest for their high electrical power density, long lifetimes, and short charging times.

Hydrogels are used in a wide range of construction applications, where they are called superabsorbent polymers SAP by that industry.

An article by IDTechEx analyst Dr Richard Collins

Activities of automotive OEMs for battery thermal management

Researchers have set a new record in the power conversion efficiency of solar cells made using perovskite and organic materials. This technological breakthrough paves the way for flexible, light-weight, low cost and ultra-thin photovoltaic cells which are ideal for powering vehicles, boats, blinds and other applications.

In a significant achievement prototype battery ink cells were screen printed onto flexible plastic and successfully generated over 250mAh (milliamp hours) of electrical charge solely from moisture. In addition, over 5mA (milliamps) of electrical current was achieved under load over a 3-day testing period. The results detail a 150% increase in electrical charge compared to previous reporting.

Thursday 10 February 2022 - This webinar looks at hydrogels beyond the medical applications that currently dominate the publicity, patents and research. Come away aware that someone will make a new billion-dollar business out of this and greatly benefit society, from smart cities to ample food, water, and electricity with zero emissions and so much more.

The materials science industry is highly competitive. There are large changes in various sectors, such as an electric and autonomous future for vehicles, geopolitical & legislative developments, and new players offering innovative materials looking to gain market share. The key to future success will rely on commercializing R&D activity and remaining agile to market needs, two reasons that developing a materials informatics strategy is imperative.

Join the free webinar - Thursday 27 January 2022. What are the major printing technologies driving the 3D printing hardware market's growth? What are new emerging technologies to keep an eye on? Is the hardware market at a point of consolidation or expansion?

Flat materials that can morph into three-dimensional shapes have potential applications in architecture, medicine, robotics, space travel, and much more. But programming these shape changes requires complex and time-consuming computations.

It is nearly impossible to live in the twenty-first century without electronics - the tiny component that plays a significant role in your laptop, smart phone, smart watch, Wi-Fi router, medical gadgets, and many other applications that shape the way we work and live.

This subscriber-only article examines Shape Memory Assisted Self-healing Materials

The fluid colour changes are made possible by a specially developed body wrap that is tailored precisely to the contours of the all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle from BMW. When stimulated by electrical signals, the electrophoretic technology brings different colour pigments to the surface, causing the body skin to take on the desired colouration.

Electroninks announced the addition of gold and platinum particle-free conductive inks to its catalog of products. The addition of gold and platinum inks gives makers of consumer electronics, medical devices, sensors and semiconductors the ability to make lighter, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly products.

This subscriber-only article offers an overview of investment activity in 3D printing-related companies in 2021. The topic is covered from the perspectives of acquisitions and mergers; companies going public (SPACs/IPOs); and private investment/funding.

The mobility sector continues to see a rapid pace of change, enabled by technological leaps in the underlying componentry and materials, but there is still a long way to go. In this article Luke Gear, Principal Analyst at IDTechEx, explores six key future mobility trends, drawing from IDTechEx Subscription research.

This subscriber-only article examines self-healing polymers, polypeptides, elastomers and coatings.

Self-healing Material Opportunities in Electronics, Batteries, Fuel cells, Sensors, Desalination