November 4, 2021

Eric Markvicka, Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Materials Engineering, center, and Ethan Krings, graduate student in mechanical engineering from Humphrey, Nebraska, look over an elastic polymer embedded with liquid metal droplets that themselves contain glass microparticles, Markvicka's team has improved the material's thermal conductivity while retaining its natural pliability. That could make the approach useful in engineering wearable technologies and soft robotics that can shed the excess heat produced by their microelectronics — reducing the risk of overheating — while remaining lightweight and elastic enough for practical use. November 4, 2021. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.