Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Mecit Altan Alioglu, Yogendra Pratap Singh, Momoka Nagamine, Syed Hasan Askari Rizvi, Vaibhav Pal, Ethan Michael Gerhard, Shweta Saini, Myoung Hwan Kim, Ibrahim T. Ozbolat
Summary: Over the past two decades, microfluidic devices have become revolutionary platforms in research and medicine. Existing fabrication strategies face challenges in recreating complex structural organizations. In this study, a silicone composite was developed and used as a support bath for 3D printing sacrificial ink, enabling the fabrication of complex-shaped microfluidic devices. The strategy allows for facile, rapid, cost-effective, and high-resolution printing, with potential applications in organ-on-a-chip devices, 3D bioprinting, and drug testing.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yaxin Zhang, Fang Huang, Ercong Zhang, Liang Zhang
Summary: This study explores the embedded 3D printing of silicone elastomer composites and examines the influence of the support bath on the physical properties of the composites. The results demonstrate that the liquid support medium enables a stable 3D printed structure and by tailoring the formula of the bath material, the extensibility and toughness of the elastomeric composites can be significantly improved.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Iek Man Lei, Duo Zhang, Wenxi Gu, Ji Liu, Yunlong Zi, Yan Yan Shery Huang
Summary: Embedded 3D printing is widely used for fabricating soft hydrogels without self-support for various applications. However, there is a lack of established rules for selecting and creating supportive baths. This study evaluates the shapeability of different types of hydrogel inks in diverse support baths and proposes a general guideline for supportive bath selection. This approach can expand the range of hydrogel materials that can be structured for various functionalities.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Tianzhou Hu, Zhengwei Cai, Ruixue Yin, Wenjun Zhang, Chunyan Bao, Linyong Zhu, Honbo Zhang
Summary: Biofabrication is essential for contemporary tissue engineering, with the primary challenge being the replication of both external organ geometries and internal structures simultaneously. This study addresses this problem by introducing a novel 3D printing strategy using a thermo-reversible supporting bath that can be easily removed. The technology is capable of printing hydrated materials with diverse crosslinked mechanisms and replicating the external geometry of native tissues and organs from computed tomography data. The study also demonstrates the ability to fabricate intricate capillary networks using a nozzle with a reduced line size due to the extra force exerted by the supporting bath.
Review
Physics, Applied
Yushun Zeng, Laiming Jiang, Qingqing He, Robert Wodnicki, Yang Yang, Yong Chen, Qifa Zhou
Summary: This review discusses the methods and applications of fabricating piezoelectric materials using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. It introduces commonly used 3D printing technologies and evaluates their advantages, and then discusses the properties of piezoelectric materials produced by these methods. The review highlights the potential of 3D-printed piezoelectric materials for biomedical applications and explores future directions and opportunities.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS D-APPLIED PHYSICS
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Fawad Ali, Muammer Koc
Summary: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a promising manufacturing platform in biomedical engineering. Polymer piezoelectric materials, with their controllable and reproducible properties, have opened new possibilities for integration into biomedical fields such as sensors, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Adam L. Brooks, Yawen He, Nima Farzadnia, Shayan Seyfimakrani, Hongyu Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials (mPCM) into 3D printable cementitious composite materials. The results show that mPCM significantly affects the printability, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of the cementitious ink material. In addition, the inclusion of mPCM influences the printing parameters, with higher volume contents requiring a higher extrusion rate. Overall, the study suggests that mPCM has good potential for improving the thermal and energy performance of 3D printed buildings.
CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Ziqi Gao, Jun Yin, Peng Liu, Qi Li, Runan Zhang, Huayong Yang, Hongzhao Zhou
Summary: To mimic natural tissue, multi-material bioprinting is commonly used to construct tissue models in vitro. The current sequential multi-material embedded printing method has a trade-off between structural integrity and printing precision. We propose a simultaneous multi-material embedded printing method that can print firmly attached and high-precision multilayer structures. This method minimizes uncontrolled squeezing and contamination, and offers better structural integrity than conventional sequential printing methods, making it a powerful tool for personalized medicine.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXTREME MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiahui Huang, Zhenchuan Yu, Peiyi Wu
Summary: Shaping soft and conductive materials through 3D printing drives innovation in various applications, such as robotic counterparts that emulate biological systems. A tricomponent ionogel-based ink design is reported in this study, which addresses the challenges of printability and synergy among ink components. This ink design strategy greatly extends material choice and provides valuable guidance in constructing diverse artificial systems by 3D printing.
Review
Polymer Science
Raffaele Pugliese, Stefano Regondi
Summary: In the past few decades, 3D printing has been crucial in tissue and organ fabrication, drug delivery, and surgical planning in the biomedical field. However, the static nature of biomedical materials used for 3D printing limits their ability to dynamically respond or transform within the body. The emergence of 4D printing, which involves preprogramming smart materials that dynamically respond to external stimuli, addresses some of these limitations. Although 4D printed dynamic materials are still in early stages of development, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) could accelerate their progress and potentially lead to the development of 5D printing as an advanced future technique.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jinfeng Zeng, Nozomi Kasahara, Zhengtian Xie, Fiona Louis, Donghee Kang, Yasumasa Dekishima, Setsuka Kuwagaki, Norihito Sakai, Michiya Matsusaki
Summary: Embedded extrusion printing allows for the fabrication of complex biological structures using soft hydrogels. However, the residue of support materials on the printed objects has been overlooked. This study compares the residues on fibrin gel fibers printed in different gel baths, showing that smaller size or lower shear viscosity baths lead to deeper diffusion of support materials into the printed structures. The residual amount of chemically cross-linked support materials is significantly higher than physically cross-linked support materials, and these residues can affect the surface morphology and properties of the printed structures.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yi Zheng, Yangdong Wang, Fan Zhang, Shaomin Zhang, Kiryl D. Piatkevich, Nanjia Zhou, Jonathan K. Pokorski
Summary: PEDOT:PSS is a promising material with broad applications in energy storage, flexible electronics, and bioelectronics. A 3D printing method using a room-temperature coagulation bath-based direct ink writing technique is reported, allowing for high quality parts with stable performance. The mechanical properties of the printed parts can be improved by modifying the coagulation bath.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Seongeom Jeong, Boram Gu, Subi Choi, Suk-kyun Ahn, Jaegeun Lee, Jieun Lee, Sanghyun Jeong
Summary: This study improved the efficiency of membrane distillation by optimizing the design of 3D printed feed spacers and incorporating carbon nanomaterials. The use of nanomaterial-incorporated spacers significantly increased the permeate flux and reduced ion permeation through the membrane.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kun Peng Zhang, Yan Fei Liao, Bin Qiu, Yue Kun Zheng, Ling Ke Yu, Gong Han He, Qin Nan Chen, Dao Heng Sun
Summary: This research uses projection micro-stereolithography 3D printing technology and liquid metal filling method to manufacture conformal and 3D metamaterials, improving transmission properties of the metamaterial devices by optimizing filling channel layout and surface post-treatment process.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Jing Duan, Tao Lin, Hongyuan Liu, Jing Xu, Huiping Shao
Summary: In this study, a 3D gel printing combined with a water-level controlled crosslinker bath method was proposed for the rapid in-situ prototyping of PVA/CS/Fe3O4 magnetic hydrogel scaffolds. The effect of the PVA/CS ratio on the rheological and mechanical properties of the hydrogels was evaluated. The results showed that the magnetic hydrogels crosslinked by NaOH had better compressive strength, swelling rate, and saturation magnetization.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Guobao Jin, Weijian Hua, Kesheng Wang, Changxue Xu, Jinyao Bian, Guanghui Dai, Peng Qin, Yifei Jin
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Polymer Science
Ying Liu, Tieli Zhu, Jie Bi, Weijian Hua, Tongmin Yu, Yifei Jin, Danyang Zhao
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Guangrui Chai, Deming Zhang, Weijian Hua, Jun Yin, Yifei Jin, Ming Chen
Summary: The study proposed a personalized 3D printing-assisted approach for surgical treatment of pediatric orbital trapdoor fractures, based on numerical simulations and clinical data. Tailor-made absorbable implants and 3D-printed models were used during surgical repairs, resulting in low incidence of diplopia and enophthalmos among patients at 12 months post-op, verifying the efficacy of the novel strategy.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Guoguang Chen, Dashuang Wang, Weijian Hua, Weibin Wu, Wuyi Zhou, Yifei Jin, Wenxu Zheng
Summary: This article establishes a numerical model of the temperature field and thermal stress field for FDM and proposes a method to sort the meshed elements. The effects of sheet shape and infill line directions on distortion during FDM are simulated and verified. The research results can be used to optimize the printing parameters for FDM.
3D PRINTING AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Jiancheng Zhang, Da Huang, Shuifeng Liu, Zijun Yang, Xianming Dong, Hongwu Zhang, Wenhua Huang, Shuzhen Zhou, Yen Wei, Weijian Hua, Yifei Jin, Wuyi Zhou, Wenxu Zheng
Summary: The development of light-based 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing processes in various fields. Customized materials offer advantages such as excellent precision, high repeatability, and a wide range of build materials, making them suitable for aerospace, biomedical, engineering, and other applications. However, the commonly used photoactive macromolecules suffer from limitations such as poor water solubility and high biological stimulation, hindering their widespread use in biomanufacturing. To address this, researchers have modified a natural hydrogel to create a new photocurable material with good biocompatibility and photocrosslinking activity. The resulting composite hydrogel enables rapid prototyping and high precision manufacturing, with tunable mechanical properties and swelling behavior. It has also been shown to support cell survival and proliferation, demonstrating its biocompatibility.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ying Liu, Xueli Zhao, Weijian Hua, Tongmin Yu, Danyang Zhao, Yifei Jin, Tieli Zhu
Summary: This study systematically investigated the effects of key process parameters on the mechanical properties and microstructures of polymeric parts fabricated through injection molding. The optimal combination of process parameters was obtained through orthogonal experiments, resulting in the successful fabrication of polymeric parts with superior performance.
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
G. B. Jin, K. S. Wang, W. J. Hua, Y. F. Jin, P. Qin, J. Y. Bian, G. H. Dai, Q. Q. Zhang
Summary: This study successfully fabricated three-layered polymeric balloon catheters composed of polyamide, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polypropylene using a three-layered coextrusion die and analyzed the polymer melt flowing behavior through the extrusion die. It was found that pulling speed significantly affects the diameters of the extruded balloon catheters, while screw speed has a great influence on the wall thickness of each layer. Air injection volume rate has negligible effect on the quality of the extrudates.
ADVANCES IN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Weijian Hua, Kellen Mitchell, Lasith S. Kariyawasam, Changwoo Do, Jihua Chen, Lily Raymond, Naima Valentin, Ryan Coulter, Ying Yang, Yifei Jin
Summary: This study proposes the concept of stimuli-responsive yield-stress fluids with an interactive dual microstructure as support bath materials. The fluid can switch states at different stresses and regulate its rheological properties based on external stimuli, enabling the addition and removal of support bath materials during printing. By studying a nanoclay-Pluronic F127 nanocomposite, the interactions and microstructure evolutions at different stresses are investigated. Three representative 3D structures are successfully printed to validate the printing capability of the fluid.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Manufacturing
Weijian Hua, Kellen Mitchell, Lily Raymond, Naima Valentin, Ryan Coulter, Yifei Jin
Summary: This study investigates a fumed silica-PDMS suspension for embedded 3D printing (e-3DP) matrix bath, enabling the low-cost extrusion 3D printing of microfluidic chips with complex embedded channels. The addition of fumed silica particles effectively changes PDMS from a viscous solution to a yield-stress suspension suitable for e-3DP. The mechanical properties of the crosslinked fumed silica-PDMS are enhanced with an increased concentration of fumed silica. Although transparency is reduced, the printed microfluidic chips remain acceptable. The proposed fumed silica-PDMS suspension-enabled e-3DP method is successfully validated through the printing of two representative microfluidic chips for biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING-TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASME
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Naima Valentin, Weijian Hua, Ashish K. K. Kasar, Lily Raymond, Pradeep L. L. Menezes, Yifei Jin
Summary: In this study, a direct ink writing method was developed to print cup structures at room temperature and form microscale porous structures within the acetabular cup through multistep heat treatment. The method employed a self-supporting titanium-6 aluminum-4 vanadium (Ti64) ink composed of Ti64 particles, bentonite yield-stress additive, ultraviolet curable polymer, and photo-initiator. The rheological properties and printability of the inks were systematically investigated by studying the effects of Ti64 and bentonite concentrations. Printing conditions, geometrical limitations, and maximum curing depth were also explored. Complex 3D structures, including lattices with different gap distances, honeycomb with a well-defined shape, and an acetabular cup with uniformly distributed micropores, were successfully printed/fabricated to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
BIO-DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Weijian Hua, Kellen Mitchell, Lasith S. Kariyawasam, Changwoo Do, Jihua Chen, Lily Raymond, Naima Valentin, Ryan Coulter, Ying Yang, Yifei Jin
Summary: This study proposes a concept of stimuli-responsive yield-stress fluids with an interactive dual microstructure for use as support bath materials in 3D printing. By utilizing a yield-stress additive and stimuli-responsive polymers, the fluids are able to switch between different states at varying stresses and exhibit regulable rheological properties when exposed to external stimuli. The printing capability of these fluids is validated through the successful fabrication of various complex structures, demonstrating their potential for manufacturing arbitrary architectures.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
