What’s in common between soft robots, stretchable garments and therapeutic clothing? It’s the liquid metal that is the main construction material of all these things.
Scientists from Purdue University discovered a technique aiming to change a natural form of liquid metal into inkjet-able one. The production method consists of dispersing liquid metal in a non-metallic solvent with the help of ultrasound. This process makes liquid metal nanoparticles that are small enough to pass through an inkjet nozzle. In the result we get the ink that can be used by a modern 3D printer.