A Dutch materials science startup company called Eurekite has developed a new type of ceramic material that can bend and fold like paper. Ceramics are generally hard and brittle—think of a ceramic pot created by firing clay in a kiln. More recently, the definition of ceramics has been expanded to include synthetic materials based on their molecular bonds. Modern ceramic materials are generally very strong and highly heat resistant, such as the tiles that were used on the Space Shuttle's heat shields.

Eurekite's "flexiramics" ostensibly retain the positive properties of ceramics while being flexible rather than brittle. In a video from Eurekite, CEO Gerard Cadafalch holds a piece of the material over a flame and it doesn't catch fire. The material can reportedly withstand heats of at least 1,200 degrees Celsius—about 2,190 degrees Fahrenheit—the hottest temperatures Eurekite's lab can achieve. The company says they can make the material in thickness ranging from "a few micrometers to over a millimeter," according to Phys.org.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

There are few details about how the material was made, but Eurekite suggests that it could be used to replace the plastic used in circuit boards or as a substrate for antennas and radio frequency identification tabs. The company hopes to start selling the material to electronics companies, and who knows, someone might be able to use it to make foldable mobile devices a reality.

Source: Eurekite via Phys.org

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io