Direct ink writing of customized polymeric structures embedded in a nano-silicate based supporting matrix

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The increase in use of intricate structures for engineering applications has encouraged researchers to find new fabrication techniques. This work presents an innovative approach of embedded 3D printing, which allows fabrication of freeform structures by directly 3D printing inside a supporting matrix. The polymer ink solution was prepared by blending polylactic acid (PLA) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) in 1,4-dioxane. Laponite RD was used to prepare the aqueous nano-silicate suspension, which exhibited yield stress and thixotropic properties due to its house-of-cards arrangement. Solidification of the 3D printed polymer ink occurred due to the hydrogen bonding between the oxygen atoms of dioxane molecules and the protons of water molecules. Particle image velocimetry study showed that the increasing nano-silicate concentration caused a reduction in yield region as a result of increasing yield stress. Dimensionless parameters (Oldroyd number and ratio of yield stress to hydrostatic pressure) for nano-silicate concentrations with values less than 1 were found to facilitate the nozzle movement without crevice formation, while the values greater than 1 were found to be unsuitable for printing. Different intricate structures such as tubular structures with varying geometry that mimic the native trachea, and a bifurcated tube were 3D printed as a proof-of-concept study. The proposed method introduced a novel approach by utilizing the solvent-water interaction capability to fabricate objects with overhanging geometry. This approach allows 3D printing of a wide variety of polymers by leveraging the miscibility between its corresponding solvent and supporting matrix.