3D
Printing Latex: A Route to Complex Geometries of
High Molecular Weight Polymers
Philip
J. Scott
Viswanath Meenakshisundaram
Maruti Hegde
Christopher R. Kasprzak
Christopher R. Winkler
Keyton D. Feller
Christopher B. Williams
Timothy E. Long
10.1021/acsami.9b19986.s003
https://acs.figshare.com/articles/media/3D_Printing_Latex_A_Route_to_Complex_Geometries_of_High_Molecular_Weight_Polymers/11879151
Vat
photopolymerization (VP) additive manufacturing fabricates
intricate geometries with excellent resolution; however, high molecular
weight polymers are not amenable to VP due to concomitant high solution
and melt viscosities. Thus, a challenging paradox arises between printability
and mechanical performance. This report describes concurrent photopolymer
and VP system design to navigate this paradox with the unprecedented
use of polymeric colloids (latexes) that effectively decouple the
dependency of viscosity on molecular weight. Photocrosslinking of
a continuous-phase scaffold, which surrounds the latex particles,
combined with in situ computer-vision print parameter optimization,
which compensates for light scattering, enables high-resolution VP
of high molecular weight polymer latexes as particle-embedded green
bodies. Thermal post-processing promotes coalescence of the dispersed
particles throughout the scaffold, forming a semi-interpenetrating
polymer network without loss in part resolution. Printing a styrene-butadiene
rubber latex, a previously inaccessible elastomer composition for
VP, exemplified this approach and yielded printed elastomers with
precise geometry and tensile extensibilities exceeding 500%.
2020-02-20 19:09:49
weight polymers
part resolution
Complex Geometries
VP system design
Thermal post-processing
weight polymer latexes
elastomer composition
continuous-phase scaffold
styrene-butadiene rubber latex
additive manufacturing
semi-interpenetrating polymer network
paradox
High Molecular Weight Polymers Vat photopolymerization
3 D Printing Latex
latex particles
computer-vision print parameter optimization