Functional Materials & Coatings

c. 314 BC · around 2,340 years ago

Theophrastus recorded that heated tourmaline attracted ash and straw

The ancient Greek naturalist's observation is regarded as the earliest recorded description of pyroelectricity, the generation of an electric charge in a material as its temperature changes, a principle used in modern heat sensors.

1842 · 184 years ago

James Joule identified magnetostriction in iron

The English physicist observed that a bar of iron changed length slightly when magnetised, a property later exploited in sonar transducers and, in far stronger alloys, in industrial actuators.

1880 · 146 years ago

Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the piezoelectric effect

The French brothers found that certain crystals generated an electric charge under mechanical stress, and the converse effect, a crystal deforming under an applied charge, later became the working principle behind most piezoelectric smart materials.

1947 · 79 years ago

Willis Winslow patented the electrorheological effect

The American engineer showed that certain fluids thickened almost instantly under an applied electric field and returned to liquid form when it was removed, opening a line of research into fluids with electrically switchable properties.

1950s · 76 years ago

Researchers in Japan and the United States developed lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics

The ceramic, known as PZT, produced a far stronger piezoelectric response than natural quartz and could be manufactured in any shape, and went on to become the material behind most piezoelectric sensors, actuators and ultrasound transducers.

1961–1962 · 64 years ago

William Buehler at the US Naval Ordnance Laboratory identified the shape-memory effect in a nickel-titanium alloy

The alloy, later named Nitinol, was found to return to a preset shape when heated after being bent cold, becoming the best-known shape-memory material and the basis for medical stents and eyeglass frames.

• A demonstration to naval officials helped popularise the discovery

1970s · 56 years ago

The US Naval Ordnance Laboratory developed Terfenol-D, a giant magnetostrictive alloy

Combining terbium, dysprosium and iron produced a material that changed length far more than earlier magnetostrictive metals under an applied magnetic field, enabling more powerful sonar transducers and actuators.

1980s · 46 years ago

Japanese manufacturers began commercialising shape-memory polymers

Heat-triggered plastics that returned to a moulded shape after deformation moved from laboratory curiosity into products such as heat-shrink packaging and temperature-sensitive fasteners, the first mass-market use of the effect.

2000 · 26 years ago

SRI International demonstrated dielectric elastomer actuators as artificial muscles

Thin rubber sheets coated with compliant electrodes were shown to contract and expand by more than 100% of their length under an applied voltage, establishing electroactive polymers as a practical actuator technology.

2001 · 25 years ago

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrated self-healing polymer composites

Microcapsules of healing agent embedded in an epoxy matrix ruptured when a crack formed and released resin that sealed the damage, the first practical demonstration of a material that repaired itself without intervention.

Early 2026 · this year

Murata Manufacturing grew piezoelectric sensor output for robotics and vehicles

The Japanese components maker increased production of piezoelectric force and vibration sensors, citing rising demand from humanoid robotics developers and automakers seeking finer tactile and vibration sensing in their products.

Early 2026 · this year

AAC Technologies expanded production of piezoelectric haptic actuators for smartphones

The Chinese components manufacturer scaled output of piezoelectric actuators used for precision vibration feedback, part of a wider shift among device makers away from simple rotary vibration motors toward finer haptic sensation.

2025 · last year

Chinese humanoid robotics developers explored electroactive polymer and shape-memory alloy actuators

Firms building humanoid robots examined lighter alternatives to electric motors for hand and finger joints, part of a broader surge in Chinese humanoid robotics investment, though conventional motors still dominated production models.

2025 · last year

South Korean display makers progressed self-healing polymer coatings for foldable phone screens

Samsung and LG advanced coating formulations intended to reduce visible scratching on foldable displays by allowing minor surface damage to reflow and reseal at room temperature, addressing a persistent complaint about folding phones.

• Consumer complaints about crease damage shaped the coating research priorities

2025 · last year

Chinese battery researchers advanced self-healing polymer binders for lithium batteries

Laboratories reported polymer binder and electrolyte formulations designed to reseal small cracks that form in electrode materials during repeated charging, part of a wider effort to extend battery cycle life.

2025–2026 · this year

Construction firms in Saudi Arabia and the UAE increased use of electrochromic glazing in large developments

Smart glass that darkens electrically to cut solar heat gain saw wider specification in large Gulf building projects, part of a broader push to reduce cooling loads in a hot climate.

2025–2026 · this year

The Indian Space Research Organisation continued fitting shape-memory alloy release mechanisms across a growing satellite programme

Shape-memory alloy actuators, which release solar panels and antennas by heating rather than firing a pyrotechnic charge, remained standard across an expanding annual launch schedule, valued for reliability and simpler ground testing.

• Reusability testing became a secondary focus

2024 · 2 years ago

Singapore's A*STAR advanced stimuli-responsive polymer research with international university partners

The agency's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering worked with overseas academic groups on polymers that change stiffness or shape in response to heat and light, aimed at flexible electronics and soft robotics applications.

2024 · 2 years ago

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded self-healing composite research for military platforms

DARPA-backed programmes examined self-healing polymer composites intended to reseal minor battle damage or fatigue cracking in vehicle and aircraft structures without depot-level repair, part of a wider push for more resilient materials.

2024–2025 · last year

The European Union's Clean Sky programme progressed morphing wing structures built with shape-memory alloys

Multi-country aerospace research consortia tested control surfaces and wing sections that change shape in flight using shape-memory alloy actuators, aimed at reducing drag and fuel burn compared with conventional hinged surfaces.

• European aerospace manufacturers and universities made up the research consortium