Material Developments for 3D/4D Additive Manufacturing (AM) Technologies

Additive ManufacturingAdditive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a unique technology in which structurally complex objects can be easily manufactured. While AM allows for the creation of intricate 3D objects, these objects are inactive and motionless. With recent incorporation of a “pre-programmed functionality” into the 3D printed objects, a new concept has emerged, 4D printing. In this context, the pre-programmed functionality refers to the materials that have properties related to their electrical, magnetic, optical properties, etc., that can be manipulated in predictable ways by application of external stimuli. Therefore, the 4D printing technology enables a static 3D printed object to change its shape, functionality, or property over time upon exposure to specific stimuli such as heat, stress, light, pH, moisture, etc. We describe a variety of functional compositeComposites (4D) materials developed for incorporation in hydrogen storage-based applications.