Chapter 56 - Nanomaterials for Printing Technology: A Revolution in Industrial Manufacturing

Abstract

2D printing is a commonly used technology based on the addition of dots onto a flat surface with X and Y axis. 3D printing, on the other hand, is related to additive manufacturing by adding layer by layer of the raw material fed into it to create a final product; in other words, it adds another dimension of depth, that is to say, a Z axis. 3D printing applications are revolutionary when compared to 2D because it is possible to create a complex object in numerous possible materials. Recently, the use of nanomaterials in 3D printing technology has gained attention, especially the synthesis of nanostructured dispersions also called nanoinks, which are used as building material in the additive manufacture process. The incorporation of nanomaterials in 3D printing techniques has allowed the introduction of materials for new generation devices with specific electrical, optical, and mechanical properties. 3D printing has been used to create nanoengineering prototypes; they have the potential to optimize the resources in fields like reconstructive medicine, electronic circuits, and scaffolds fabrication, among others. 3D printing technology has already been proved as a viable alternative in several medical applications including the manufacture of custom prosthetic devices, dental implants, and even the first steps in organs and tissues printing. In circuit fabrication, printable conducting inks, such as metals and conductive polymers, have been widely studied allowing the fabrication of flexible electric circuits and chemical sensors. Furthermore, the use of 3D printing technology is often supported in scaffolds, which provides, mainly, mechanical and electrical properties to the final composite. The development of new inks based on nanomaterials often encounters different obstacles, such as controlling the ink viscosity and surface tension, which are important parameters in the printing process.