Reactive Silicone Inks for 3D Printing Using Microfluidic Mixers

3D打印（增材制造）是一项颠覆性技术，正在迅速进入商业按需打印制造和社区。硅树脂的应用范围从隐形眼镜到电脑键盘弹簧。它们固化成橡胶的速度太慢，无法用作3D打印机的“墨水”。我们建议开发快速固化的硅树脂油墨，可以直接从目前的四色喷墨打印机打印，并使用我们开发的微流控混合器，从商用3D打印机混合硅树脂糊状进行四色打印。这些活性油墨将产生许多优点。它们将用于基于硅酮或其他材料的现有设备的表面处理。更重要的是，按需印刷设备可以直接由有机硅制成，其物理性质可以以空间控制的方式广泛调整。因此，硬度、粘附性、折射率、水润湿性等特征可以编码到器件的不同部分。最初，单一涂层将扩展到微流体和眼科应用的多通道涂层。使用粘贴式打印机，可以制备更大的生物医学设备。该项目将结合Brook的合成专业知识与Selvaganapathy在微流体和3D打印方面的专业知识，并得到我们三家支持公司的大力支持：Structur3d printing是一家开发打印机喷嘴到3D打印浆料的初创公司；Silcotech，硅树脂注塑成型的领导者，将帮助混合协议；加拿大最大的功能性有机硅制造公司Siltech将协助扩大油墨技术的规模。赞助商将允许HQP在公司设施中花费部分研究时间，以加快开发。这样做的一个重要后果是HQP将在工业环境中工作。通过开发可商业化的功能性有机硅3D打印技术和培训市场准备好的HQP，拟议的工作使加拿大受益，因为他们通过与我们的工业赞助商的直接互动学习了技术，批判性思维和解决问题的技能。

3D printing (additive manufacturing) is a disruptive technology making rapid inroads into commercial print-on-demand manufacturing and into the community. Silicones used in applications ranging from contact lenses to computer keyboard springs. They cure into rubbers too slowly to be used as 'inks' in 3D printers. We propose to develop rapidly curing silicone inks that can be printed directly from current 4-color inkjet printers and using microfluidic mixers we develop, 4-color printing of mixed silicone pastes from commercial 3D printers. Many advantages will accrue from these reactive inks. They will be used as surface treatments of existing devices based on silicone or other materials. More importantly, print-on-demand devices can be directly made from silicone in which the physical properties can be broadly tuned in a spatially-controlled manner. Thus, hardness, adhesiveness, refractive index, water wettability and other features can be encoded into different parts of the device. Initially, single coatings will be extended to multipass coatings for microfluidics and ophthalmic applications. With the paste printer, larger biomedical devices can be prepared. This project will combine Brook's synthetic expertise with Selvaganapathy's expertise in microfluidics and 3D printing, and with strong support from our three supporting companies: Structur3d Printing a startup developing printer nozzles to 3D print pastes; Silcotech, a leader in silicone injection molding who will help with mixing protocols; and, Siltech, the largest company in Canada making functional silicones will assist with scale up of the ink technology. The sponsors will allow HQP to spend part of their research time in company facilities to expedite development. An important consequence of this is the exposure the HQP will gain in working in an industrial environment. The proposed work has benefits Canada through the development of commercializable 3D printing technology of functional silicones and the training of market ready HQP because of the technical, critical thinking and problem solving skills they learn through their direct interaction with our industrial sponsors.