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Polymers
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Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0
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Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 9922

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paul F. Egan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Interests: engineering design; 3D printing; additive manufacturing; lattices; tissue scaffolds; finite element analysis; mechanics; polymers; computation; medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer 3D printing is an emerging technology in research and industry, and has diverse applications ranging from prototypes to end-use designs. Three-dimensional printing uses additive manufacturing processes to fabricate designed parts using polymer materials including thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, biomaterials, and more. Polymer printing is advantageous because of its wide range of material properties, low processing costs, and potential for complex design fabrication. Common applications for polymer 3D printing include prosthetics in the medical industry, lightweight/high-strength parts for aerospace applications, and inexpensive customized parts for consumers. 

Although 3D printing techniques have advanced substantially in previous years, there are still many avenues of research and challenges in materials, processing, and design to address. Regarding materials, there is a need for the further creation of polymers with advantageous properties and for measuring the performance of existing printed polymers. Processing challenges include the development of new ways of depositing materials to form a structure and assessing how printing processes influence end-part performance. Addressing challenges in the design of polymers to form lattices, multi-material structures, and stimuli-responsive parts will support applications that utilize these designed features for improved performance and functionality. Addressing these areas of research and further challenges will help in fully understanding and using 3D-printed polymers to the fullest of their potential in diverse applications.

This Special Issue welcomes papers on a wide variety of topics in polymer applications in 3D printing and research that support relevant fundamental advances; these applications can range from diverse industries including but not limited to medical, aerospace, automobile, electronics, and consumer with 3D printing processes for extrusion, resin, and powder-based fabrication approaches.

Dr. Paul F. Egan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • design
  • 3D printing
  • additive manufacturing
  • polymer applications
  • functional materials
  • lattices
  • mechanics
  • plastics
  • healthcare

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6084 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Self-Healing Capability of Thermoplastic Elastomer Capsules in a Polymeric Beam Structure Based on Strain Energy Release Behaviour during Crack Growth
by Mohammed Dukhi Almutairi, Feiyang He, Yousef Lafi Alshammari, Sultan Saleh Alnahdi and Muhammad Ali Khan
Polymers 2023, 15(16), 3384; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15163384 - 12 Aug 2023
Viewed by 909
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the elastic and plastic responses of 3D-printed thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) beams under various bending loads. The study also aimed to develop a self-healing mechanism using origami TPE capsules embedded within an ABS structure. These cross-shaped [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to investigate the elastic and plastic responses of 3D-printed thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) beams under various bending loads. The study also aimed to develop a self-healing mechanism using origami TPE capsules embedded within an ABS structure. These cross-shaped capsules have the ability to be either folded or elastically deformed. When a crack occurs in the ABS structure, the strain is released, causing the TPE capsule to unfold along the crack direction, thereby enhancing the crack resistance of the ABS structure. The enhanced ability to resist cracks was confirmed through a delamination test on a double cantilever specimen subjected to quasi-static load conditions. Consistent test outcomes highlighted how the self-healing process influenced the development of structural cracks. These results indicate that the suggested self-healing mechanism has the potential to be a unique addition to current methods, which mostly rely on external healing agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0)
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14 pages, 5714 KiB  
Article
Degradation Behavior of 3D-Printed Residue of Astragalus Particle/Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites under Soil Conditions
by Wangwang Yu, Jianan Shi, Rui Qiu and Wen Lei
Polymers 2023, 15(6), 1477; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15061477 - 16 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1116
Abstract
Astragalus is widely cultivated in China, and the residue of Astragalus particles (ARP) can be used as reinforcements in fused filament-fabricated (FFF) natural fiber/Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) biocomposites. To clarify the degradation behavior of such biocomposites, 3D-printed 11 wt% ARP/PLA samples were buried in soil, [...] Read more.
Astragalus is widely cultivated in China, and the residue of Astragalus particles (ARP) can be used as reinforcements in fused filament-fabricated (FFF) natural fiber/Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) biocomposites. To clarify the degradation behavior of such biocomposites, 3D-printed 11 wt% ARP/PLA samples were buried in soil, and the effects of soil burial duration on the physical appearance, weight, flexural properties, morphology, thermal stability, melting, and crystallization properties were investigated. At the same time, 3D-printed PLA was chosen as a reference. The results showed that, with prolonged soil burial, the transparency of PLA decreased (but not obviously), while the surface photographs of ARP/PLA became gray with some black spots and crevices; especially after 60 days, the color of the samples became extremely heterogeneous. After soil burial, the weight, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of the printed samples all reduced, and greater losses happened to ARP/PLA pieces than pure PLA. With an increase in soil burial time, the glass transition, cold crystallization, and melting temperatures, as well as the thermal stability of PLA and ARP/PLA samples, all increased gradually. Additionally, soil burial had a greater effect on the thermal properties of ARP/PLA. The results showed that the degradation behavior of ARP/PLA was more significantly affected by soil burial than the behavior of PLA. Additionally, ARP/PLA more easily degraded in soil than PLA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0)
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19 pages, 7469 KiB  
Article
Mechanics of 3D-Printed Polymer Lattices with Varied Design and Processing Strategies
by Paul F. Egan, Nava Raj Khatri, Manasi Anil Parab and Amit M. E. Arefin
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym14245515 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1910
Abstract
Emerging polymer 3D-printing technologies are enabling the design and fabrication of mechanically efficient lattice structures with intricate microscale structures. During fabrication, manufacturing inconsistencies can affect mechanical efficiency, thereby driving a need to investigate how design and processing strategies influence outcomes. Here, mechanical testing [...] Read more.
Emerging polymer 3D-printing technologies are enabling the design and fabrication of mechanically efficient lattice structures with intricate microscale structures. During fabrication, manufacturing inconsistencies can affect mechanical efficiency, thereby driving a need to investigate how design and processing strategies influence outcomes. Here, mechanical testing is conducted for 3D-printed lattice structures while altering topology, relative density, and exposure time per layer using digital light processing (DLP). Experiments compared a Cube topology with 800 µm beams and Body-Centered Cube (BCC) topologies with 500 or 800 µm beams, all designed with 40% relative density. Cube lattices had the lowest mean measured relative density of ~42%, while the 500 µm BCC lattice had the highest relative density of ~55%. Elastic modulus, yield strength, and ultimate strength had a positive correlation with measured relative density when considering measurement distributions for thirty samples of each design. BCC lattices designed with 50%, 40%, and 30% relative densities were then fabricated with exposure-per-layer times of 1500 and 1750 ms. Increasing exposure time per layer resulted in higher scaling of mechanical properties to relative density compared to design alteration strategies. These results reveal how design and fabrication strategies affect mechanical performance of lattices suitable for diverse engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0)
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Review

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35 pages, 8440 KiB  
Review
Recent Progress of the Vat Photopolymerization Technique in Tissue Engineering: A Brief Review of Mechanisms, Methods, Materials, and Applications
by Ying Li, Xueqin Zhang, Xin Zhang, Yuxuan Zhang and Dan Hou
Polymers 2023, 15(19), 3940; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15193940 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1709
Abstract
Vat photopolymerization (VP), including stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and volumetric printing, employs UV or visible light to solidify cell-laden photoactive bioresin contained within a vat in a point-by-point, layer-by-layer, or volumetric manner. VP-based bioprinting has garnered substantial attention in both academia [...] Read more.
Vat photopolymerization (VP), including stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and volumetric printing, employs UV or visible light to solidify cell-laden photoactive bioresin contained within a vat in a point-by-point, layer-by-layer, or volumetric manner. VP-based bioprinting has garnered substantial attention in both academia and industry due to its unprecedented control over printing resolution and accuracy, as well as its rapid printing speed. It holds tremendous potential for the fabrication of tissue- and organ-like structures in the field of regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the recent progress of VP in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. First, it introduces the mechanism of photopolymerization, followed by an explanation of the printing technique and commonly used biomaterials. Furthermore, the application of VP-based bioprinting in tissue engineering was discussed. Finally, the challenges facing VP-based bioprinting are discussed, and the future trends in VP-based bioprinting are projected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0)
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34 pages, 10882 KiB  
Review
A Review of Critical Issues in High-Speed Vat Photopolymerization
by Sandeep Kumar Paral, Ding-Zheng Lin, Yih-Lin Cheng, Shang-Chih Lin and Jeng-Ywan Jeng
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2716; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym15122716 - 17 Jun 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3351
Abstract
Vat photopolymerization (VPP) is an effective additive manufacturing (AM) process known for its high dimensional accuracy and excellent surface finish. It employs vector scanning and mask projection techniques to cure photopolymer resin at a specific wavelength. Among the mask projection methods, digital light [...] Read more.
Vat photopolymerization (VPP) is an effective additive manufacturing (AM) process known for its high dimensional accuracy and excellent surface finish. It employs vector scanning and mask projection techniques to cure photopolymer resin at a specific wavelength. Among the mask projection methods, digital light processing (DLP) and liquid crystal display (LCD) VPP have gained significant popularity in various industries. To upgrade DLP and LCC VPP into a high-speed process, increasing both the printing speed and projection area in terms of the volumetric print rate is crucial. However, challenges arise, such as the high separation force between the cured part and the interface and a longer resin refilling time. Additionally, the divergence of the light-emitting diode (LED) makes controlling the irradiance homogeneity of large-sized LCD panels difficult, while low transmission rates of near ultraviolet (NUV) impact the processing time of LCD VPP. Furthermore, limitations in light intensity and fixed pixel ratios of digital micromirror devices (DMDs) constrain the increase in the projection area of DLP VPP. This paper identifies these critical issues and provides detailed reviews of available solutions, aiming to guide future research towards developing a more productive and cost-effective high-speed VPP in terms of the high volumetric print rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of 3D Printing for Polymers 2.0)
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