Inkjet and inkjet-based 3D printing: connecting fluid properties and printing performance

Abstract

Purpose-This paper aims to summarize the latest developments both in terms of theoretical understanding and experimental techniques related to inkjet fluids. The purpose is to provide practitioners a self-contained review of how the performance of inkjet and inkjet-based three-dimensional (3D) printing is fundamentally influenced by the properties of inkjet fluids. Design/methodology/approach-This paper is written for practitioners who may not be familiar with the underlying physics of inkjet printing. The paper thus begins with a brief review of basic concepts in inkjet fluid characterization and the relevant dimensionless groups. Then, how drop impact and contact angle affect the footprint and resolution of inkjet printing is reviewed, especially onto powder and fabrics that are relevant to 3D printing and flexible electronics applications. A future outlook is given at the end of this review paper. Findings-The jettability of Newtonian fluids is well-studied and has been generalized using a dimensionless Ohnesorge number. However, the inclusion of various functional materials may modify the ink fluid properties, leading to non-Newtonian behavior, such as shear thinning and elasticity. This paper discusses the current understanding of common inkjet fluids, such as particle suspensions, shear-thinning fluids and viscoelastic fluids. Originality/value-A number of excellent review papers on the applications of inkjet and inkjet-based 3D printing already exist. This paper focuses on highlighting the current scientific understanding and possible future directions.

3D Assembly of Graphene Nanomaterials for Advanced Electronics

“…During inkjet printing (Figure a–c ) , liquid drops are deposited on demand and layer‐by‐layer onto a substrate . Inkjet is suitable for printing graphene as the low viscosity requirement for the ink allows the exfoliated nanosheets to remain disperse, preventing aggregation.…”

An inkjet‐printed sulfonephthalein dye indicator array for volatile amine detection

“…To be specific, a highly viscous solution will impede the drop ejection at the nozzle and thus is characterized by a low Z value (Derby, 2010;Jang et al, 2009). Conversely, solutions with low Z and low surface tension values tend to exhibit dripping problems at the nozzle (Guo, Patanwala, Bognet, & Ma, 2017;Jang et al, 2009). Solutions with the high Z but low viscosity values may result in numerous satellite droplets (Derby, 2010;Jang et al, 2009), thereby reducing print consistency.…”

Bioprinting

“…Inkjet printing is a non-contact method of fabrication, which limits the risk of contamination during printing. Scaffolds are constructed using the deposition of droplets and can achieve excellent resolution ranging between 20 and 100 μm [9][10][11]. Droplets are ejected from a printhead via thermal, piezoelectric or microvalve processes.…”

“…Droplets are ejected from a printhead via thermal, piezoelectric or microvalve processes. Thermal inkjet printing uses the nucleation of an air bubble to induce droplet formation, but a localized temperature between 100 and 300°C could inflict damage on cells and limits its use for printing natural polymers [10,12]. Piezoelectric-based inkjet printing uses acoustic waves to eject a droplet, however this limits the use of viscous and therefore more concentrated inks, as these will dampen out the acoustic waves before they can expel a droplet [13].…”