Phys.org December 2, 2024
Silicone elastomers have a broad variety of applications in robotics, biomedical devices, and structural metamaterials. The extrusion-based method known as direct ink write (DIW) method is limited to manufacturing mostly planar or pseudo-3D structures, but not feasible for obtaining tall or overhanging structures, or structures comprised by thin walls. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated a novel Fast Cure silicone-based ink that enabled manufacturing of complex 3D structures. The Fast Cure ink was a two-part mixture. The silicone structures were produced by inline mixing and coextrusion of a part containing a catalyst (part A) and a part containing a crosslinker (part B). The extruded strands rapidly rigidized, increasing their self-supportive capacity resulting in shape retention… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Fast Cure silicone in direct-ink-write additive manufacturing… Credit: Advanced Materials Technologies, 05 May 2024