中國研究人員首次實現陶瓷4D打印
Chinese researchers have developed the world's first-ever 4D printing for ceramics that are mechanically robust and can have complex shapes, offering broad potential applications in telecommunications, electronics and even space exploration.
中國研究人員已經開發出世界上首項4D陶瓷打印技術，這項技術使陶瓷性能堅固且形狀複雜，在電信、電子甚至太空探索領域中具有廣泛的應用潛力。Researchers at City University of Hong Kong reported in a study published last Friday in the journal Science Advances a novel "ceramic ink," a mixture of polymers and ceramic nanoparticles.
香港城市大學的研究人員在上週五發表在《科學進展》雜誌上的一項研究中報道了一種新穎的“陶瓷油墨”，這是一種聚合物和陶瓷納米顆粒的混合物。The 3D-printed ceramic precursors printed with this novel ink are soft and can be stretched three times beyond their initial length, according to the study.
該研究顯示，用這種新型油墨打印的3D打印陶瓷前體很柔軟，並且可以拉伸超過其初始長度的三倍。
These flexible and stretchable ceramic precursors allow complex shapes, such as origami folding. With proper heat treatment, ceramics with complex shapes can be made, making them the 4D ceramics.
這些柔韌且可拉伸的陶瓷前體可變換複雜的形狀，例如摺紙樣式。通過適當的熱處理，可以製造出形狀複雜的陶瓷，使其成爲4D陶瓷。
4D printing is conventional 3D printing combined with the additional element of time as the fourth dimension, where the printed objects can re-shape or self-assemble themselves over time with external stimuli, such as mechanical force, temperature, or a magnetic field.
4D打印是傳統的3D打印與第四維度附加元素時間的結合體。其中打印物體可以隨着時間的推移，在外部刺激下（例如機械力，溫度或磁場）重塑或自組。The existing 3D-printed ceramic precursors, which are usually difficult to deform, also hinder the 4D printing of ceramics with complex shapes.
現有的3D打印陶瓷前體通常難以變形，也妨礙了具有複雜形狀的陶瓷的4D打印。The researchers led by Lv Jian, chair professor of mechanical engineering, made use of the elastic energy stored in the stretched precursors for shape morphing.
機械工程系主任呂堅帶領研究人員利用儲存在拉伸前體中的彈性能量來改變陶瓷的形狀。When the stretched ceramic precursors are released, they undergo self-reshaping and after heat treatment, the precursors turn into ceramics.
當拉伸的陶瓷前體被釋放時，它們會經歷自行重塑並且在熱處理之後，前體會變成陶瓷。The resultant elastomer-derived ceramics are mechanically robust. They can have a high compressive strength-to-density ratio and can come in large sizes with high strength compared to other printed ceramics.
得到的彈性體衍生的陶瓷具有堅固的機械性能。它們具有很高的耐壓強度與密度比，並且與其他打印陶瓷相比可以具有很大的抗壓尺寸。With the versatile shape-morphing capability of the printed ceramic precursors, its application can be huge, said Lv.
呂堅表示，4D打印陶瓷前體的多形狀變形能力使得其應用範圍將非常廣泛。
