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Melt Electrowriting of Thermoplastic Elastomers
Gernot Hochleitner1, Eva Fürsattel2, Reiner Giesa2
1Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University Hospital Würzburg, Pleicherwall 2, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|April 16, 2018
Summary
Poly(urea-siloxane) is a novel thermoplastic elastomer compatible with melt electrowriting (MEW). This study demonstrates its potential for creating high-quality 3D scaffolds with precise fiber structures.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Additive Manufacturing
Background:
- Melt electrowriting (MEW) is an additive manufacturing technique.
- Polycaprolactone is a common benchmark material for MEW.
- Exploring new polymers expands MEW's material compatibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize poly(urea-siloxane) for MEW compatibility.
- To investigate the influence of printing parameters on fiber formation.
- To assess the quality of 3D scaffolds produced by MEW.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of poly(urea-siloxane).
- Optimization of MEW parameters: applied voltage, temperature, and feeding pressure.
- Fabrication and evaluation of 3D scaffolds.
Main Results:
- Poly(urea-siloxane) exhibits reversible hydrogen bonding, suitable for MEW.
- Optimized parameters yielded uniform fibers (10-20 µm diameter) with smooth surfaces.
- High-quality 3D scaffolds were achieved with accurate layer stacking (up to 50 layers) and minimal defects.
- Reduced fiber sagging was observed compared to other polymers.
Conclusions:
- Poly(urea-siloxane) is highly compatible with melt electrowriting.
- Thermoplastic elastomers represent a promising, previously untested class of polymers for MEW.
- This material enables the fabrication of defect-free, high-resolution 3D scaffolds.
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