3D Printed Nanocomposite Can Self-Heal Damage Once Exposed to Room Temperature Water Vapor10/30/2018
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3D Printed Nanocomposite Can Self-Heal Damage Once Exposed to Room Temperature Water Vapor https://ift.tt/2RnJQzo A group of researchers from Canada’s Research Center for High Performance Polymer and Composite Systems (CREPEC) at the Polytechnique Montréal recently submitted a paper, titled “3D Printing of Self-Healing and Stretchable Nanocomposites Sensors,” in Materials Horizons that explains how they developed a self-healing nanocomposite, made of chitosan (CS) and carbon nanotubes (CNT), that can heal damage once it’s exposed to water vapor at room temperature.
There are many applications for stretchable, self-healing devices made from sustainable materials, such as biomedical devices, soft robotics, and wearable sensors, because of their restorative properties and low cost. But, due to an increasing demand for more powerful electronics, electronic waste that contains non-biodegradable and toxic materials is a big problem. While there has been research conducted on designing self-healing materials based on autonomic healing, among other features, they can’t really be used in electronics due to a lack of electrical conductivity.
The team turned to 3D printing, which is a low-cost way to accurately fabricate electronic devices. While it’s necessary to have a high loading (20 wt %) of CNTs to make a conductive nanocomposite, this level of concentration in the polymer binder lowers the stretchability. Instability-assisted 3D printing (IA3DP) of PLA fibers, however, can improve this property for polymers.
The team developed a novel CS/CNT ink, made up of a blend of CNTs, CS as polymer binder, and a dispersing solution of distilled water and acetic, citric, and lactic acids. Then, the ink was used to make complex 3D structures and microstructured fibers with a combination of IA3DP and solvent-cast 3D printing (SC3DP). The researchers performed electrical conductivity tests on fibers of the CS/CNT nanocomposites, in addition to mechanical tests on both straight and coil-patterned fibers. In order to test the seal-healing behavior, the team cut the CS/CNT fibers with a standard razor blade, and then sprayed water vapor on the samples for 10 seconds. A humidifier was then used to heal the cut fibers, and then they were dried by a hair dryer until “the current back to the initial values.” The researchers then performed electrical measurements on both the original and healed fibers. The team’s work is already shedding more light on using high stretchability and self-healing ability in sensor design. In addition, the paper is showcasing the use of biodegradable polymers that “leads to a class of electronic materials for excellent performance and functionality of electronic devices.”
Co-authors are Qinghua Wu, Shibo Zou, Frédérick Gosselin, Daniel Therriault, and Marie-Claude Heuzey. Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below. Printing via 3DPrint.com | The Voice of 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing https://3dprint.com October 30, 2018 at 12:15PM
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