Ionic Liquids As Property Modifiers in Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

In recent years, the popularity of additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, has grown exponentially. One research path in this field is the ability to change the properties on the “printed” object beyond those of the original polymer. Therefore, a means to control the properties of these materials is needed. Ionic liquids can provide this means. With the ability to tune the properties of an ionic liquid to meet process requirements, one can create uniquely functionalized materials or improve the properties of the polymer. For instance, previous work in combining polymer chemistry with ionic liquids has shown that ionic liquids can contribute to the various properties of polymeric materials, whether as plasticizers, thermal properties modifiers, or as co-polymers.1,2,3 By combining ionic liquids with current stereo-lithography (SLA) printing techniques, one can create materials with a wide range of thermal and tensile properties. In this presentation, we will discuss our work on using ionic liquids as modifiers in additive manufacturing using stereo-lithography techniques, including their effects on the physical properties, such as tensile strength and flame resistance, and the chemical properties, such as reactivity, of the “printed” materials. We will also discuss the use of ionic liquids as co-polymers in SLA printing and the properties of these co-polymeric materials. The composition, properties, and performance of these materials will be evaluated by SEM, tensile testing, DSC, TGA, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. With the increasing interest in 3-D printing, this work highlights the impact ionic liquids can have on this emerging technology. Scott, M. P.; Brazel, C. S.; Benton, M. G.; Mays, J. W.; Holbrey, J. D.; Rogers, R. D. Chem. Commun. 2002, 1370.Rahman, M.; Brazel, C. S. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2006, 91, 3371.Hong, K.; Zhang, H.; Mays, J. W.; Visser, A. E.; Brazel, C. S.; Holbrey, J. D.; Reichert, W. M.; Rogers, R. D. Chem. Commun. 2002, 1368.