Stereolithography: Enabling Polymer Network and Multi-Scale Structure Control

该奖项支持整合材料化学和力学的基础研究，以定义一种技术，该技术可以导致具有增强机械性能的3D打印热固性材料的先进制造。热固性结构包含硬域和软域，模仿骨、珍珠、竹和珠光体钢的分层结构，将通过使用立体光刻3D打印与相分离相结合来开发。实验工作将以建模为指导，优化材料的网络结构和多尺度结构，以实现增材制造（AM）零件的强度和韧性优于目前使用的结构均匀的热固性材料。聚合物纳米复合材料增材制造部件在牙科、生物医学、可穿戴电子、航空航天和汽车工业中的应用越来越重要。因此，这项研究的结果将有利于美国的经济和社会。该项目将研究与教育计划相结合，包括课程开发、研究生教育、本科生参与研究、向K-12的推广和STEM的推广。这项研究的目的是创新光聚合3D打印技术，称为立体光刻（SLA），以允许生产具有多尺度网络结构和结构调制的热固性材料。该项目旨在开发异质热固性材料的设计规则，并将光交联与相分离相结合，建立新的SLA方法。该活动将(i)开发SLA作为热固性材料的增材制造方法，其结构控制在多个长度尺度上，包括比打印分辨率更细的尺度，以及（ii）开发设计多尺度结构的概念和方法，以便在不影响热固性材料的强度和刚度的情况下增强其韧性。这将通过集成建模和实验来实现。开发的技术将适用于其他聚合物体系，以控制这些和其他属性，如导热性和导电性。这项研究还将为研究生和本科生提供先进制造、材料建模和聚合物研究方面的教育，同时向K-12的传播和推广将增加项目活动的影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports fundamental research that integrates material chemistry and mechanics to define a technology which can lead to advanced manufacturing of 3D printed thermosets with enhanced mechanical properties. Thermoset structures containing stiff and soft domains that mimic the hierarchical structure of bone, nacre, bamboo and pearlite steels will be developed by using stereolithography 3D printing in conjunction with phase separation. The experimental work will be guided by modeling to optimize the network structure and the multiscale architecture of the material, in order to achieve strength and toughness of the additive manufactured (AM) parts superior to those of the structurally homogeneous thermosets used today. Polymer nanocomposite AM parts are increasingly important for applications in dental, biomedical, wearable electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries. Therefore, results from this research will benefit the U.S. economy and society. This project integrates research with an education plan, which encompasses course development, education of graduate students, integration of undergraduate students in research, outreach to K-12 and the promotion of STEM. The objective of this research is to innovate the photopolymerization 3D printing technique called stereolithography (SLA) to allow for the production of thermosets with network structure and architecture modulated on multiple scales. The project aims to develop material design rules for heterogeneous thermosets and to establish new SLA methods by combining photo-crosslinking with phase separation. This activity will (i) develop SLA as an additive manufacturing method for thermosets with structure controlled on multiple length scales, including on scales finer than the printing resolution, and (ii) develop the concept and the methods to design the multiscale structure so as to enhance its toughness without compromising the strength and stiffness of the thermoset. This will be achieved by integrating modeling and experimentation. The developed technologies will be applicable to other polymeric systems to control these and other sets of properties, such as the thermal and electrical conductivities. This research will also provide education in advanced manufacturing, materials modeling and polymer research to graduate and undergraduate students, while dissemination and outreach to K-12 will increase the impact of the project activities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.