A silicone-based support material eliminates interfacial instabilities in 3D silicone printing

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Duraivel, Senthilkumar; Laurent, Dimitri; Rajon, Didier A.; Scheutz, Georg M.; Shetty, Abhishek M.; Sumerlin, Brent S.; Banks, Scott A.; Bova, Frank J.; Angelini, Thomas E.
• 署名单位: State University System of Florida; University of Florida; State University System of Florida; University of Florida; State University System of Florida; University of Florida; State University System of Florida; University of Florida; State University System of Florida; University of Florida
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-12540
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ade4441
• 发表日期: 2023-03-24
• 页码: 1248-1252
• 关键词: flow; DESIGN

摘要

Among the diverse areas of 3D printing, high-quality silicone printing is one of the least available and most restrictive. However, silicone-based components are integral to numerous advanced technologies and everyday consumer products. We developed a silicone 3D printing technique that produces precise, accurate, strong, and functional structures made from several commercially available silicone formulations. To achieve this level of performance, we developed a support material made from a silicone oil emulsion. This material exhibits negligible interfacial tension against silicone-based inks, eliminating the disruptive forces that often drive printed silicone features to deform and break apart. The versatility of this approach enables the use of established silicone formulations in fabricating complex structures and features as small as 8 micrometers in diameter.