Now, researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have fused chemistry with technology to create a 3D-printed foam that is more durable and more recyclable than the polymer foam found in many everyday products. Chemistry doctoral student Rebecca Johnson BS’20 holds a tiny dog-shaped piece of sturdy, lightweight 3D-printed foam she and her colleagues developed. The UT Dallas researchers developed their durable foam using special reversible bonds, called dynamic covalent chemistry. Dr. Ron Smaldone (left), associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, talks about 3D-printed foams with chemistry doctoral students Ariel Tolfree BS’23 and Rebecca Johnson BS’20. “It’s a simple shape but perfectly represents our foams,” Tolfree said.