Liquid thermoset resins are widely used due to their wide-ranging mechanical, chemical and thermal properties. Additive manufacturing techniques potentially expand the dimensional complexity of parts vs. mold-based manufacturing, but the inviscid nature of these resins require obvious intervention to realize self-supporting structures. Thermal curing protocols further exacerbate this problem. Polymer self-assembly presents a flexible toolkit to fortify these liquids with self-reinforcing structure throughout the thermal cure cycle. In this work we summarize recent progress in using mixtures of homopolymers, diblock copolymers, and triblock copolymers to yield a variety of self-supporting epoxy and polyurethane structures printed through direct ink writing. By balancing of curing activation temperature, glass transition temperatures, and polymer thermodynamics, DIW inks can be formulated that are suitable for both thermally activated processing and curing. Polymer micelles provide a balance of structure, creep resistance, and flowability that enables 3D printing processing techniques and retention of shape from the time of printing throughout the cured state.

3D printable all-polymer composites

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.