Sensors

Engineers leverage MXene/MWCNT dual-conductive percolation to solve cyclic fatigue in self-healing Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs).

Optical sieve microcavities shift color when they trap nanoplastics, enabling fast detection, sizing, and counting with a standard microscope.

A decision made at the pigment stage can decide whether a plastic product is recyclable at all.

AI control for recycled plastics stabilizes injection molding despite resin variability, reducing defects and improving operator confidence with explainable models.

Printable chipless RFID tags using MXene inks enable remote sorting and then dissolve in a caustic wash to avoid contamination of recyclate.

Insights from K Show: 3D printing finds key niches in plastics, from conformal-cooling tooling to large-format parts and TPU lattices.

A two-year program conducted by CEFLEX gathered information from 1,700 data points and over 600 packaging samples. As a result, a design guide was developed to ensure the practical recyclability of flexible packaging.

Reconfigurable liquid crystal elastomers use pixel-based director patterns for multi-mode shape morphing in soft robotics and adaptive surfaces.

Fouling comes from additive volatility and interfacial energetics. Early shifts in cavity-pressure and ejector-force trends reveal their growth and prompt planned interventions.

As biomonitors, lichens show how green spaces buffer urban areas from atmospheric microplastic pollution.