Reactive Silicone Inks for 3D Printing Using Microfluidic Mixers

3D打印(加法制造)是一种颠覆性技术，正在迅速进入商业按需打印制造和社区。有机硅用于从隐形眼镜到计算机键盘弹簧的各种应用。它们固化成橡胶的速度太慢，不能用作3D打印机的墨水。我们建议开发可直接从现有四色喷墨打印机打印的快速固化有机硅油墨，并使用我们开发的微流控混合器，对商用3D打印机的混合硅胶浆料进行四色打印。这些活性油墨将带来许多好处。它们将被用作现有硅胶或其他材料设备的表面处理。更重要的是，按需印刷设备可以直接由硅胶制成，其中的物理性能可以以空间控制的方式进行广泛的调节。因此，硬度、附着力、折射率、水润湿性和其他特征可以编码到设备的不同部分中。最初，单一涂层将扩展到用于微流体和眼科应用的多通道涂层。有了膏体打印机，就可以制备更大的生物医学设备。 该项目将结合Brook的合成专业知识和Selvan anapathy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 Print，一家将打印机喷嘴开发到3D打印浆料的初创公司；Silcotech，有机硅注射成型领域的领导者，将帮助制定混合协议；以及，Siltech，加拿大最大的功能有机硅生产公司，将协助扩大墨水技术的规模。赞助商将允许HQP将部分研究时间花在公司设施中，以加快开发。这一点的一个重要后果是HQP在工业环境中工作时获得的曝光率。 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到的技术、批判性思维和解决问题的技能，通过开发功能性有机硅的商业化3D打印技术和培训市场准备就绪的HQP。

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.