Researchers at North Carolina State University in the United States recently said they have been able to 3D print flexible porous silicone rubber structures. This technology can be used in biomedical and soft robots . This silicone 3D printing method requires neither thermal application nor special chemical composition, and is highly desirable.
Using paste inks formed from silicones in liquid and solid form, researchers at North Carolina State University have been able to 3D print flexible porous silicone rubber structures. This technology can be used in biomedical and soft robots.
From contact lenses to engine liners to ice trays, silica gel has proven to be a versatile polymer group. Therefore, researchers and companies have managed to make 3D printed silicone.
California's ALT is one of the few companies that have developed a silicone 3D printing process, and researchers at the University of Florida introduced a silicone 3D printing process for medical devices a few weeks ago.
A group of researchers at North Carolina State University has just become the newest member of the research on silicone 3D printing, developing a 3D printing method using paste inks formed from silicones in liquid and solid form. They say their technology is reminiscent of using water to turn sand into sand castles.
A research team led by NVISTANCID's professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, Orlin Velev, showed that in aqueous media, liquid silicone rubber can be used to form bridges between tiny silicone rubber beads. The resulting paste can be printed in 3D in a variety of environments, even under water.
Because the technology can be used in a dry or humid environment, researchers believe it can be used in living tissue. They envisioned biomedical applications such as 3D printed soft bandages that can be applied directly to the human body, as well as applications in the field of soft robots.
Velev said: "3D printing of silicone or PDMS is very valuable because it has many useful features. But it still needs to overcome some challenges. You usually need to heat the material quickly or use special chemistry to apply it, which is technically It is complicated."
On the other hand, this silicone 3D printing method requires neither thermal application nor special chemical composition. NC state researchers believe this technique is highly desirable.
Velev said: "Our method uses very simple extrudable materials that can be placed in a 3D printer for prototyping porous, flexible structures, even under water. All of this is through two materials. Multiphase systems do not require special chemicals or expensive machines."
Researchers attribute this ease of use to the dual silica gel used in the method.
“This '诀çª' is that the beads and the liquids they bind to are silica gel, so they form a very cohesive, stretchable and bendable material after molding and curing,†explains Velev.
It is reported that the research paper was published in AdvancedMaterials magazine this week. Its first author is the NC State Ph.D. candidate Sangchul Roh. Co-authors include NC State graduate student Dishit Parekh; Louisiana State University professor Bhuvnesh Bharti, and Dr. Simeon Stoyanov from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
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