Introduction:3D printingIt is gradually becoming a more versatile and efficient technology.In order to further develop this technology, researchers usually use low-dimensional nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal nanoparticles and quantum dots to make new3D printingThe material can adapt to external stimuli and endow properties such as electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, magnetism and electrochemical storage.
Mechanical engineering researchers at Michigan Technological University have created a method to create a 3D printable nanocomposite polymer ink using carbon nanotubes (CNT), which has high tensile strength and is very lightweight. They hope that this new ink can replace epoxy resin and move towards large-scale use. The difference the researchers did was the use of polymer nanocomposites (made of epoxy resin, carbon nanotubes, and nanoclays) and a printing process that did not sacrifice the functionality of the material.
△Figure 1. The rheological properties of epoxy resin, epoxy resin-nanoclay and epoxy resin-nanoclay-CNT nanocomposite inks with different CNT concentrations.
Walk before the market
Although polymer nanocomposites and3D printingThe market value of products and services is around 1 billion U.S. dollars (about 6.47 billion RMB), but nanomaterials3D printingThe market value of only about 43 million US dollars (about 278 million yuan).And the research field has not yet fully understood3D printingThe process of controlling the properties of nanocomposites, such as the morphology-property relationship.
△Figure 2. Using nano composite ink3D printing.
The technical bottleneck lies in how to understand3D printingThe complex interaction between the macroscopic mechanics of the process and the nanoscale mechanics and physics of nanocomposites.And this research aims to explore3D printingThe key to the problem is to find the relationship between process parameters and the morphology of nanomaterials in nanocomposite printing inks.
△Figure 3.3D printingSEM and TEM images of the epoxy resin-nano-clay-CNT nanocomposite.
Advantages of nano ink
Researchers believe that the conductive properties of nano-inks give printed epoxy resins the potential to be used as wires, whether in circuit boards, airplane wings, or guidingBlood vesselCatheter3D printingActuator. Another characteristic of nanocomposite polymer ink is its strength. Compared with steel and aluminum, the weight of epoxy composite material with the same strength is reduced by 80%.
△Figure 4. Casting pure epoxy resin and3D printingMechanical test results of epoxy resin-nano-clay-CNT nanocomposite.
Nanocomposites inMedical treatmentfield,aviationaerospaceAnd the electronics industry has security features. Researchers say that when an object breaks, tiny cracks start from microscopic defects and progress to destroy the entire structure. Nanocomposites build bridges in these cracks and will not allow the cracks to grow. This is one of the mechanisms by which carbon nanotubes improve the mechanical strength of materials. In addition, factors such as performance-to-weight ratio, conductivity, increased strength and ease of application are also reasons why polymer nanocomposite inks may replace traditional epoxy resins.
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