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Fabrication Process of Silicone-based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
Published on: February 1, 2016
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Multimaterial 3D Printing of Highly Stretchable Silicone Elastomers
Lu-Yu Zhou, Qing Gao, Jian-Zhong Fu
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Design and Manufacturing for Vehicle Body , Changsha 410082 , China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|June 12, 2019
Summary
This study presents a guide for 3D printing highly stretchable silicone using direct ink writing (DIW). Nanosilica improves printability, enabling high-speed, accurate printing of complex silicone structures for various applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Additive Manufacturing
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Direct ink writing (DIW) of silicone elastomers is promising for flexible electronics, medical devices, and soft robotics.
- Current silicones often lack printability due to low viscosity and long curing times, hindering DIW applications.
- A lack of systematic research on materials, devices, and processes impedes wider DIW adoption for silicones.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive guide for printing highly stretchable silicone elastomers using the DIW process.
- To address challenges in materials, devices, and printing processes for silicone elastomers.
- To enable high-speed, accurate, and repeatable printing of complex silicone structures.
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of nanosilica as a rheology modifier to enhance silicone elastomer printability without compromising stretchability.
- Development and verification of a theoretical model to control print speed and accuracy.
- Utilizing the developed strategy to print silicone elastomers with diverse mechanical properties.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-speed (over 25 mm/s) and accurate printing of silicone elastomers with infinite time stability.
- Successfully printed super-stretchable silicone (2000% elongation) for the first time.
- Demonstrated the printing of complex structures with high quality, including a prosthetic nose, data glove, and artificial muscle.
Conclusions:
- The developed strategy provides a comprehensive guide for DIW printing of highly stretchable silicone elastomers.
- This advancement overcomes limitations in silicone printability, enabling diverse applications in flexible electronics, medical devices, and soft robotics.
- The findings pave the way for broader applications of DIW in printing soft materials across various fields.
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