SBIR Phase I: Additive Manufacturing of Silicone Elastomers and Thermosets Using Freeform Reversible Embedding

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是从根本上扩大可以3D打印的聚合物类型。热固性材料如有机硅、环氧树脂和环氧树脂在整个制造过程中使用，因为它们具有优异的化学、物理和机械性能，并且易于成型。该技术将使现有工业热固性材料的3D打印无需使用市场上可用的标准3D打印技术进行修改。该技术解决了消费电子、汽车、航空航天和医疗设备等行业尚未满足的需求，为新应用提供合格的热固性材料增材制造，例如改善可穿戴电子设备的贴合性和舒适性、减轻机械部件重量以及将传感器集成到柔性医疗设备中。这项工作通过新的增材制造能力直接支持国家健康和国防能力的发展。这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段的重点是3D打印各种以前无法打印或难以打印的热固化热固性材料。其影响将是解锁一种没有几何限制的3D打印热固性材料的方法，同时保持小至50 µm的尺寸精度，解决消费电子，汽车，航空航天和医疗器械行业未满足的增材制造需求。虽然目前的3D打印机可以利用光聚合来打印特定的树脂，但大多数工程热固性材料（例如有机硅，环氧树脂和环氧树脂）仍然无法打印。该项目将实施一个科学框架，以了解在屈服应力支持浴中热固性油墨的悬浮水凝胶（FRESH）打印的自由可逆嵌入过程中聚合物-溶剂的相互作用。在这个过程中，液体热固性油墨在支撑浴中挤出，在那里它们随着时间的推移而固化，使溶解度，化学和流变学成为关键的成功因素。铂固化的有机硅被提议作为初始候选热固性材料;该项目将确定哪些嵌段共聚物和溶剂具有正确的溶解度参数组合，以自组装成微凝胶，该微凝胶可以被压实以形成屈服应力支撑浴。FRESH打印工艺参数将被优化，以实现关键的尺寸精度，分辨率，保真度和打印部件的机械性能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to radically expand the types of polymers that can be 3D printed. Thermosets such as silicones, epoxies, and urethanes are used across manufacturing because they have excellent chemical, physical, and mechanical properties, and they can be readily molded. The proposed technology will enable 3D printing of existing industrial thermosets without modifications using standard 3D printing technologies available in the market. The technology addresses an unmet need for industries including consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, and medical device by enabling additive manufacturing of qualified thermoset materials for new applications such as improving the fit and comfort of wearable electronic devices, lightweighting mechanical components, and integrating sensors into flexible medical devices. This effort directly supports advancing national health and defense capabilities through new additive manufacturing capabilities.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I is focused on 3D printing a wide range of previously unprintable or difficult-to-print thermally-cured, thermoset materials. The impact will be unlocking a method of 3D printing thermosets without geometric limits while maintaining dimensional accuracy across features as small as 50 µm, addressing unmet additive manufacturing needs within consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, and medical device industries. While there are current 3D printers that can utilize photopolymerization to print specific resins, most engineering thermosets (e.g. silicones, epoxies, and urethanes) remain unprintable. This project will implement a scientific framework to understand polymer-solvent interactions during freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) printing of thermoset inks within yield-stress support baths. In this process, liquid thermoset inks are extruded within a support bath where they are cured over time, making solubility, chemistry, and rheology critical success factors. Platinum-cured silicone is proposed as the initial candidate thermoset; the project will establish which block copolymers and solvents possess the right combination of solubility parameters to self-assemble into microgels that can be compacted to form the yield-stress support bath. FRESH printing process parameters will be optimized to achieve critical dimensional accuracy, resolution, fidelity, and mechanical properties of the printed parts.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.