In Situ Printing and Functionalization of Hybrid Polymer-Ceramic Composites Using a Commercial 3D Printer and Dielectrophoresis—A Novel Conceptual Design

Abstract

Three-dimensional printing-based additive manufacturing has emerged as a new frontier in materials science, with applications in the production of functionalized polymeric-based hybrid composites for various applications. In this work, a novel conceptual design was conceived in which an AC electric field was integrated into a commercial 3D printer (-based fused filament fabrication (FFF) working principle) to in situ manufacture hybrid composites having aligned ceramic filler particles. For this work, the thermoplastic poly lactic acid (PLA) was used as a polymer matrix while 10 vol% KNLN (K0.485Na0.485Li0.03NbO3) ceramic particles were chosen as a filler material. The degree of alignment of the ceramic powders depended upon print speed, printing temperature and distance between electrodes. At 210 °C and a 1 kV/mm applied electric field, printed samples showed nearly complete alignment of ceramic particles in the PLA matrix. This research shows that incorporating electric field sources into 3D printing processes would result in in situ ceramic particle alignment while preserving the other benefits of 3D printing.

Polymeric composites in extrusion‐based additive manufacturing: a systematic review

“…134 PLA KNLN Successful in situ alignment of piezoelectric ceramic particles through the incorporation of electric field sources. 165 Ceramic waste Successful recycling; the bending performance of the composite was similar to that of the virgin PLA. 169 β-TCP Higher nozzle temperature increased the crystallinity and enhanced the mechanical and rheological properties.…”

“…In the study area of 3D‐printable ceramic‐polymer composites with electromagnetic‐related functionalities, Hanemann et al 121 investigated combinations of nanosized barium ferrite and ABS, highlighting the potential for improved properties from the use of a proper magnetic alignment field 121 . Attempting to address this gap in an analogous context, Tselikos et al 165 modified a commercial 3D printer nozzle to allow the application of an electric field and the in situ alignment of ceramic particles. Despite being non‐uniform and dependent on process parameters, the alignment achieved for a PLA/KNLN composite provided enhanced piezoelectric properties in comparison with the randomly‐oriented scenario 165 .…”

“…Despite being non-uniform and dependent on process parameters, the alignment achieved for a PLA/KNLN composite provided enhanced piezoelectric properties in comparison with the randomly-oriented scenario. 165 Also exploring dielectric materials, Capote et al 130 combined barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) and ABS for applications in microwave photonics, producing a prototype of a 3D photonic crystal. 130 Using the same polymeric matrix and a similar filler, Goulas et al 108 synthesized a composite filament of barium strontium titanium oxide (BaSrTiO 3 ) and ABS, adopting it to manufacture a prototype microstrip patch 5G antenna and a hemispherical dielectric lens.…”

“…141 Other more generalized purposes have also been mentioned. 127,147,165 In spite of the incipient nature of the categorized applications-with the research-industry bridge still to be crossed-some practical uses of 3D-printed polymeric composites have been observed in real-world scenarios for enduse products. These case studies are often patented or not reported in the scientific literature for confidentiality reasons.…”

Effects of Infill Line Multiplier and Patterns on Mechanical Properties of Lightweight and Resilient Hollow Section Products Manufactured Using Fused Filament Fabrication

“…Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is a widely used additive manufacturing technique known for its ability to create lightweight and resilient hollow section products [ 1 , 2 ]. The 3D-printing processes provide a broad vision and scope for meeting the demand for environmentally responsible production to create the desired model or specimen with little waste, regardless of its shape [ 3 , 4 ]. FFF is a popular and promising 3D printing technique in which fused polymer is put down layer by layer on a platform to print components with complicated geometries and suitable mechanical qualities [ 5 ].…”