Abstract
3D printable, flexible, and conductive composites are prepared by incorporating a thermoplastic elastomer and electrically conductive carbon fillers. The advantageous printability, workability, chemical resistance, electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility components allowed for an enabling of 3D-printed electronics, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, static elimination, and biomedical sensors. Carbon-infused thermoplastic polyurethane (C/TPU) composites have been demonstrated to possess right-strained sensing abilities and are the candidate in fields such as smart textiles and biomedical sensing. Flexible and conductive composites were prepared by a mechanical blending of biocompatible TPU and carbons. 3D structures that exhibit mechanical flexibility and electric conductivity were successfully printed. Three different types of C/TPU composites, carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon black (CCB), and graphite (G) were prepared with differentiating sizes and composition of filaments. The conductivity of TPU/CNT and TPU/CCB composite filaments increased rapidly when the loading amount of carbon fillers exceeded the filtration threshold of 8%–10% weight. Biocompatible G did not form a conductive pathway in the TPU; resistance to indentation deformation of the TPU matrix was maintained by weight by 40%. Adding a carbon material to the TPU improved the mechanical properties of the composites, and carbon fillers could improve electrical conductivity without losing biocompatibility. For the practical use of the manufactured filaments, optimal printing parameters were determined, and an FDM printing condition was adjusted. Through this process, a variety of soft 3D-printed C/TPU structures exhibiting flexible and robust features were built and tested to investigate the performance of the possible application of 3D-printed electronics and medical scaffolds.
Highlights
The term additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing originally referred to a process in which binder material is deposited onto a powder bed layer by layer
We have introduced a new way to produce Carbon-infused thermoplastic polyurethane (C/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)) by combining all of these technologies, successfully separating the team that prepares C/TPU materials remotely from the group that operates equipment and prints through the web-platform
For both TPU/carbon nanotube (CNT) and TPU/conductive carbon black (CCB) composites, an increase in conductivity was observed with an increased quantity of each carbon filler when the concentration of CNT or CCB was higher than 5.8 wt %
Summary
The term additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing originally referred to a process in which binder material is deposited onto a powder bed layer by layer. Conductive metal powder packing simulations and methods to improve the conductivity have been reported [9,10] This technique was applied to fully 3D-printed electronics; it still has a limitation in the provided choice of substrates. The studies report on the improvement of mechanical properties in terms of tensile and compression strengths, hardness, and thermal characteristics of the conductive polymer composite (CPC) [11,12,13,14]. The soft and robust 3D-printed structure supplies joints with a low-friction and high resistance exterior This surface provides absorption of shock and a high capacity for load-bearing [20]. A composite material comprising TPU and Carbon would be one of the best components to replace this soft, robust 3D-printed structure and sensor. As advancements in medicine are made, the demand has grown for new materials to create organ replacements, tissue substitutions, and bone implants, among other biomedical applications [26,27,28]
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