Materials with high particle loadings are important for several applications: in many cases the particles provide the desired functionality and the polymer acts to bind them together into a shape, so maximizing particle content is required. As new continuous processing technologies, such as 3D printing, become more prevalent, low polymer binder content has introduced challenges, particularly due to the high viscosities encountered in highly loaded systems. Understanding how the formulation elements, including particle and binder properties, impact the rheological properties and how those translate to processing will enable rapid formulation design and robust processes. We focus on direct ink write additive manufacturing and examine the rheology and processability of high particle loading suspensions (&gt;60 vol% particles) and show how the nature of the polymer binder, the particle size distributions and the processing parameters influence the consistency of the print and the distribution of particles and voids in the final solid part. This work allows us to understand how to link formulation properties to processing through rheology to design high solids suspensions for applications ranging from pharmaceuticals to energetic materials to construction on Mars.

Rheology and formulation in material extrusion additive manufacturing of high solids suspensions

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ACS Fall 2022

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