{"id":129323,"date":"2026-03-20T09:24:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T12:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/900641473"},"modified":"2026-03-20T09:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T12:24:57","slug":"world-first-4d-printing-tech-uses-sulfur-polymers-to-create-shape-shifting-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/20\/world-first-4d-printing-tech-uses-sulfur-polymers-to-create-shape-shifting-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"World first: 4D printing tech uses sulfur polymers to create shape-shifting materials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Every year, millions of tons of sulfur quietly pile up as waste from petroleum refining. For decades, this yellow element has been treated as little more than an industrial by-product. But now, a team of Korean researchers has turned this overlooked material into the foundation of a revolutionary technology: self-actuating, recyclable structures built through 4D printing.<\/p>\n

Led by Dr. Dong-Gyun Kim of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, together with Professors Jeong Jae Wie of Hanyang University and Yong Seok Kim of Sejong University, the team has developed the world\u2019s first 4D printing method using sulfur-rich polymers. Unlike ordinary plastics, these materials can respond to heat, light, and even magnetic fields, giving them a kind of \u201csmart\u201d behavior.<\/p>\n

Sulfur plastics are not just a clever recycling trick. They can transmit infrared light, making them useful for camera lenses. They can capture heavy metals, offering solutions for water purification. Also, they are fully recyclable, fitting perfectly into the vision of a circular economy.<\/p>\n

In short, they transform waste into a resource that protects the environment while enabling advanced technologies.<\/p>\n

Study tracks sulfur-based metabolism in the open ocean<\/a><\/p>\n

Until now, sulfur-based plastics have been too rigid for 3D printing. Their tightly cross-linked networks made them difficult to flow and shape.<\/p>\n

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World\u2019s first successful 3D printing of sulfur-based plastics enabling recyclable 4D printing structures that change shape and respond to heat, light, and magnetic fields<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The breakthrough came when the team designed a softer, more flexible polymer structure. This made the material easy to print into complex shapes. By adjusting the amount of sulfur, they gave the structures \u2018shape-memory\u2019 abilities, meaning they can bend, twist, or change form on their own when exposed to heat or light.<\/p>\n

The flexible sulfur\u2013sulfur bonds in the polymer give it a flowable, shear-thinning behavior, enabling the extrusion and printing of both poly(phenylene polysulfide) networks (PSNs) and magnetic particle composites (MPSNs) into complex shapes.<\/p>\n

One of the most striking features is the ability to \u201cweld\u201d components together using a near-infrared laser. In just eight seconds, bonds inside the polymer temporarily break and reconnect, fusing pieces without glue. Imagine assembling intricate structures like LEGO blocks, but with the added magic of light-triggered self-assembly.<\/p>\n

By adding magnetic particles, the researchers created soft robots<\/a> measuring less than a centimeter. These tiny robots can move on their own, guided by magnetic fields. By combining shape-memory with magnetic responsiveness, the researchers created miniature machines that can crawl, twist, or even swim, all without batteries or wires.<\/p>\n

The most exciting aspect is the closed-loop system. After use, the printed structures can be melted down and reused as feedstock, achieving 100% recyclability. This means no waste, no landfill, and a truly sustainable production cycle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis study represents the first example of upcycling industrial sulfur waste into advanced robotic materials,\u201d<\/em> says<\/a> Dr. Kim. \u201cSmart materials that can move autonomously and be recycled are expected to become key drivers of future soft robotics and automation technologies.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Sulfur, which was once seen as waste, is now emerging as an important material for the future. From camera lenses to clean water systems, and from small soft robots to recyclable manufacturing, this simple element is showing that it can significantly influence the technologies of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Journal Reference:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Jae Hyuk Hwang, Sukyoung Won, Ji Mok Lee, Woongbi Cho, Sungmin Park, Hyun Kim, Chang-Geun Chae, Woohwa Lee, Dong-Gyun Kim, Jeong Jae Wie, Yong Seok Kim. Closed-Loop and Sustainable 4D Printing of Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Sulfur-Rich Polymer Composites for Autonomous Task Execution. Advanced Materials. DOI: 10.1002\/adma.202507057<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    … material into the foundation of a revolutionary technology<\/span>: self-actuating, recyclable structures built … the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology<\/span>, together with Professors Jeong Jae …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129323\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}