Additive manufacturing (AM) of multifunctional polymers enables the formation of tailored and well-defined 3D objects for aerospace, electronics, and structural applications. Mask projection stereolithography (MPSL), an established and versatile AM technology, constructs objects with features as low as 10 μm by projecting masked ultraviolet (UV) light onto a photopolymer surface in a layer-by-layer, iterative fashion. In one example, AM of a phosphonium-containing ionic liquid is demonstrated. This 3D-printed polymerized ionic liquid (PIL) demonstrated high thermal stability, optical clarity, ionic conductivity, and tunable thermal properties based on ionic liquid incorporation into the poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate matrix. In another example, MPSL enabled 3D printed polyimide precursors based on pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4’-oxydianiline (ODA), otherwise known as Kapton®. Post-printing thermal imidization converted the poly(amic acid) precursors into polyimides while retaining shape and resolution. This application of MPSL enables generation of well-defined 3D objects with exceptional thermal and structural adhesive properties, effectively processing the unprocessable. In a final example, AM of elastomers is examined. Production of elastomeric objects requires high molecular weight precursors, which are typically possess a viscosity too high for processing with standard vat photopolymerization techniques. A variety of methods for reducing photopolymer viscosity are explored, including the use of heat, reactive & unreactive diluents, and systems with simultaneous chain extension and crosslinking. These examples demonstrate that the combination of novel synthetic strategies with tailored geometries from additive manufacturing can displace what is attainable with traditional materials and manufacturing processes.

Designing polymers to tune interfaces in 3D printing: From all-aromatic polyimides to poly(dimethyl siloxane) elastomers

256th National Meeting (2018)

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