Development of innovative materials and methodologies to create sustainable and recyclable products for low-cost point-of-need additive manufacturing of metals and composites is of great importance, helping to address acute AM supply chain challenges, foster AM adoption by the manufacturing masses, accelerate development of in-house expertise, and empower engineers to design more game-changing parts for innovative applications. There exists a significant gap in our understanding and fundamental knowledge on developing novel feedstock materials compatible with additive manufacturing while satisfying multifunctionality, affordability, and sustainability for end-use applications. We conducted several laboratory-based studies to develop novel composite feedstock materials for low-cost desktop extrusion/material jetting based 3D-printing, with the intent to accelerate development of in-house expertise in point-of-need fabrication of custom parts and address shortage of available materials for AM. For example, several polymeric composite materials were designed and formulated based on fillers (Zirconia powders or carbon fiber) reinforced into polymers (matrix) compatible with a customized material jetting (MJ) 3D-printer. This MJ system enables 20 times higher printing speed than conventional jetting 3D-printing and enables printing materials with very high viscosity up to 1,000,000 mPa/s. In another work, we developed successfully biocomposite feedstock/filaments based on biopolymer and natural filler (wood flour) compatible with low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF). The focus of these studies was to explore the feasibility of novel compositions as 3D-printing feedstock and manufacturing functional structures with good quality for end-use applications. The current research in my group examines development of novel polymeric composite feedstocks based on natural fillers (micro-/nano- scale) and biopolymers compatible with low-cost desktop FFF 3D-printing, with a focus on recyclability and sustainability studies, and conducting methodological investigation evaluating how processing and materials interaction affects final properties.
Learning Objectives:
- Upon completion, participants will be able to accelerate development of in-house expertise and design more game-changing parts for innovative applications
- Upon completion, participants will be able to develop future scientific endeavors to expand applicability of the proposed approach in this research to other materials systems
- Upon completion, participants will be able to understand better how to explore the feasibility of novel compositions as 3Dprinting feedstocks and manufacturing functional structures with good quality for end-use applications
