最近Complex Materials GroupandSoft Materials GroupatETH Zürich, Switzerland, collaborated to develop a low cost, recyclable and high strengthliquid crystal polymer(LCP) material for 3D printers.
To learn more about this carbon fiber competitor I spoke to Silvan Gantenbein, co-author of the LCP study and PhD Candidate with the Complex Materials Group at ETH, aboutbioinspired design, future work and commercial availability of the new material.
3D打印行业: What are the primary focuses of the Complex Materials Group at ETH Zurich?
森林Gantenbein,苏黎世联邦理工学院:苏黎世Eth的复杂材料实验室的重点是处理途径，以在不同的长度尺度上创建具有复杂体系结构的材料，并理解其结构 - 专业关系。这些复杂的层次结构在生物材料中广泛广泛，例如在Nacre和木材中，它们具有出色的机械性能。
因此，该小组特别有兴趣了解这些生物结构，并使用其生物设计原理来创建高性能材料。达到这种复杂性的一种工具是3D打印。在这个[最新]项目中，我们与Eth Zurich的软材料组合作，并将其在液晶聚合物处理方面的专业知识与我们在3D打印方面的专业知识相结合。
3D打印行业: What were the main aims of your LCP material research?
Silvan Gantenbein:这种方法的主要目的是通过数字设计和制造强壮和复杂形状的轻质聚合物，这些聚合物表现出可编程纤维架构，灵感来自精美的生物材料（例如蜘蛛丝和木材）的多尺度结构。
这些突破性结构和特性是通过结合对3D打印机提供的材料沉积的自上而下的空间控制与自组装热液晶聚合物的可调节方向相结合的。
3D打印行业: Can you give us any further information about the recyclability of materials developed in this study?
Silvan Gantenbein:本研究中使用的液晶聚合物在打印后是完全可回收的，可以再次重新处理，例如通过打印。然而，可选退火步骤增加了聚合物的分子量，还会产生交联，从而增加了熔体的熔体点和熔体的粘度。这意味着一旦材料经过退火步骤，就无法以相同的方式再次使用。此外，作为一种合成聚合物，生物生物不能轻易降解。
3D打印行业: What is the next step for this research?/Are you seeking a partner to commercialize the bioinspired materials?
Silvan Gantenbein:We are trying to push the mechanical properties that we can achieve with the LCPs even higher and also perform different mechanical tests to understand the system more precisely. We do this with the focus of developing real-life applications for automotive, aerospace or biomedical.
So yes, we are definitely interested in commercializing the technique with industry partners.
3D打印行业: Can you provide a summary of other 3D printing related projects currently ongoing at the school?
Silvan Gantenbein:The lab works on a variety of 3D printing materials and approaches ranging from 3D printed soft robots from silicone to printing of functional materials containing bacteria to printing of porous ceramics. Below are some of the activities going on in the lab:
–3D将细菌打印到功能复合材料中
–3D printing of robotic soft actuators with programmable bioinspired architectures
–复合材料的多材磁辅助3D打印
–3D Printing of Emulsions and Foams into Hierarchical Porous Ceramics
–纤维素纳米晶体墨水用于3D打印纹理蜂窝结构
–3D Printing of Materials with Tunable Failure via Bioinspired Mechanical Gradients
讨论LCP材料的完整信件：分层液晶聚合物结构的三维印刷,” is published online bynature. It is co-authored by Silvan Gantenbein, Kunal Masania, Wilhelm Woigk, Jens P. W. Sesseg, Theo A. Tervoort and André R. Studart.
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特色图片显示了3D印刷LCP木格兰的插图。图像通过苏黎世Eth。
