Recent Advances in Cryogenic 3D Printing Technologies

Abstract

Cryogenic 3D printing, or freeze 3D printing, is an additive manufacturing process that prints an object at “low” temperature atmosphere. It uses a temperature lower than the melting point of the printing material (commonly a water‐based suspension or slurry) to solidify the layered part. Cryogenic 3D printing compasses several different processes including ice 3D printing, freeze from extrusion, freeze nano‐printing (FNP), etc. However, no systematic survey of these technologies is present. In the current review, various 3D printing technologies that use low temperature to solidify the layer are reviewed. The technical aspects such as path planning, heat transfer, and diffusion in multi‐material are investigated. The applications of cryogenic 3D printing are presented including the investment casting, ice sculpture, and microfluidic channel from original ice 3D printing, and functional porous materials from the emerging FNP and low‐temperature deposition. Overall, this article gives a summary of cryogenic 3D printing technologies, including a survey on its technical aspects and potential applications for future research and development.