Poly Vinylidene Fluoride Composites Research Articles

Airflow sensing and energy harvesting applications of PVDF-TPU piezoelectric nanofibers

Wind energy is one of the abundant potential power sources that can be found both indoors and outdoors. Recently, the focus has been placed on the potential of ambient energy gathering using natural airflow as a small-scale wind energy source. Here, highly piezoelastic nanofiber mats were fabricated from a pure polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PVDF-TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) composites via the electrospinning approach. They have exceptional electrical energy harvesting and airflow sensing capabilities. The potential of these composite nanomats for piezoelectric energy harvesting was studied, depending on airflow perturbations in the surrounding environment. PVDF blended with 15 weight percent (wt.%) TPU exhibited the optimum sensitivity, clearly demonstrating the scope of these developed prototypes in the field of airflow sensing and energy harvesting technology.

Effect of autoclaving on the dimensional stability and surface characteristics of 3D printed PVDF composite-based implants

In the past decade, a lot of work has been reported on the use of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based thermoplastic composites as energy storage devices, and implant materials. But hitherto little has been reported on the dimensional stability and surface characteristics of 3D-printed PVDF composites after autoclaving for implant applications. In this study, the effect of autoclaving on surface characteristics (Shore-D hardness, surface roughness (Ra), morphological characteristics), and dimensional stability of 3D printed PVDF-hydroxyapatite (HAp)- chitosan (CS) composite has been reported for implant applications. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio approach was used to ascertain the best setting of process parameters for 3D printing by fused filament fabrication (FFF) process. This study suggests that the best setting for the FFF process, for the 3D printing of PVDF composite (90%PVDF-8%HAp-2%CS) are the nozzle temperature (NT) of 225°C, raster angle (RA) 0°, and printing speed (PS) 40 mm/s, resulting in Shore-D hardness 48.5 HD (before autoclaving) and 55.0 HD (after autoclaving), dimensional deviation 0.01 mm (after autoclaving). The results are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis.

Low-cost, simple preparation and outstanding energy density of glass fiber reinforced PVDF polymer flexible composites

To make the product commercially viable and applicable, the inclusion of glass fiber filler with a low cost and medium dielectric constant (ε) is adopted as the filler. Synchronously, representative polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with high permittivity and breakdown strength is selected as optimal polymer matrix. And surface modifying agent is employed as organic coatings to weaken the surface energy of glass fiber and boost the interfacial inter-action. An investigation of dielectric properties was conducted by preparing flexible composites consisting of various content of glass fiber. The ε of composites can be significantly enhanced in the PVDF composites with glass fiber, and the breakdown strength (BDS) is remained at a high level. Moreover, within a specific content range, glass fiber makes the ε and BDS of the material increase synchronously. This work provides a facile strategy for the development of excellent performance, simple preparation and low-cost flexible composites.

Tailoring the Electrical Response of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanocomposites with Electrically Conductive and Dielectric Fillers

Polymer‐based composites combining the flexibility, low density, and processability of the matrix with the tailored functional performance provided by the fillers are also particularly suitable for large area, flexible, and printable applications. Herein, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites with conductive graphene nanoplatelets (G‐NPL) and high‐dielectric constant ceramics, including barium and strontium titanate (BT and SrT), have been developed to achieve electrically conductive and high‐dielectric response materials, respectively. Flexible composites reinforced with 45 wt% ceramic content lead to a dielectric constant of ε´ = 33 and 25 for BT and SrT, respectively, 6 and 4 times higher than for pristine PVDF. Further, the inclusion of G‐NPL allows for the development of highly conductive composites with a maximum conductivity of 5.5 × 10−2 (Ω.m)−1 for a 5 wt% filler content, 10 orders of magnitude larger than PVDF. The G‐NPL and ceramic in optimized contents in PVDF tricomposites do not enhance the dielectric properties compared to PVDF‐ceramic composites. Theoretical analysis has been used to determine the critical percolation threshold of the PVDF/G‐NPL, which occurs at 0.6 wt% G‐NPL content with a critical exponent of t = 2.49 and to describe the dielectric properties of the composites, allowing to further tailor materials responses for specific application needs.

The effect of porosity on flexoelectricity in 3D printed aluminum/polyvinylidene fluoride composites

We investigated the relationship between porosity and flexoelectricity for aluminum (Al)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites. Neat PVDF, composites of micron aluminum (μAl)/PVDF, and composites of nano aluminum (nAl)/PVDF were 3D printed, and the flexoelectric response was measured using a cantilever beam test setup. Voids (up to 72.4 mm3) were incorporated into the samples by decreasing the infill percent of the 3D printed material. We found that increasing the porosity via millimeter scale voids incorporated into the infill pattern decreased the average effective flexoelectric coefficient relative to the near full-density (100% infill) control samples. This contrasts with other studies that have shown increasing micron scale porosity increases the flexoelectric coefficient. In addition, we measured higher flexoelectric responses for nAl/PVDF than μAl/PVDF as well as for samples printed by the Hyrel 3D SR printer as opposed to the Ender 3 V2 printer. These results indicate that charge generation due to flexoelectricity can be altered by changing parameters such as porosity, particle size of inclusions, or manufacturing method. Smaller voids and fine particles can induce larger strain gradients than larger inhomogeneities, leading to increased flexoelectric coefficients. A competing effect is that more porosity leads to less materials, which can decrease the flexoelectric coefficient.

Investigating the torsional characteristics of 3D printed polyvinylidene fluoride composite

In the recent past some studies have been reported on the compressive, tensile, and flexural properties of 3D-printed polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite-based intramedullary (IM) pins for canines. However, in actual working conditions (due to trauma or accident), the IM pin may also be under torsional loading conditions. But hitherto little has been testified on the torsional behavior of PVDF composite-based IM pins. This study highlights the torsional behavior at 1 rpm (from 0 to 800° of the angle of twist/rotation) of PVDF composite (PVDF-90%; hydroxyapatite (HAp8%); chitosan (CS2%)) based IM pin fabricated by fused filament fabrication (FFF) process. The study suggests that better torsional properties were obtained for 3D printed samples prepared at nozzle temperature (NT) of 235°C, raster angle (RA) of 45°, and printing speed (PS) of 60 mm/s respectively resulting in a maximum torque of 3.44 Nm at the angle of twist of 800° (as per ASTM A938). The morphological analysis based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) supports the results of the fractured surface (at cross section) and along the lateral axis.

Thermal conductivity and fractal texture formation in β-Si3N4/polyvinylidene fluoride composites

Additive incorporation into polymers can enhance properties, such as the dielectric constant and thermal conductivity. The improved properties of polymer composites have largely been attributed to aggregate and network formation, but the influence of material texture requires clarification. Herein, the relationship between the texture of composite materials and thermal conductivity was investigated based on the fractal nature of composites consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with β-Si3N4 (SN) as a high-thermal-conductivity filler. The SN particle groups were found to contribute to the formation of thermal conduction paths in the composite material and, thus, improve the thermal conductivity. The characteristics of the particle group clusters involved in SN particle percolation were elucidated by analyzing the interactions between multiple particles as a function of the amount of each fractal dimension. In addition, based on the statistical relationships obtained from the multifractal analysis, the strengths of the interactions between particles during thermal conduction path formation were estimated. Overall, the texture of the SN/PVDF material was characterized by local particle group formation (self-assembly) and subsequent global particle group network construction (self-organization), depending on the amount of SN added. These results suggest that multifractal dimensions can be used as material design indices for the texture of polymer composites.

Improved pyroelectric performances of functionally graded graphene nanoplatelet reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride composites: Experiment and modelling

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), as a pyroelectric polymer, has great potential applications in electronic devices and sensors. However, the low pyroelectric properties of pure PVDF limit its application. In this work, functionally graded graphene nanoplatelet (FG-GNP) reinforced PVDF composite films are prepared and test for their pyroelectric performance. Apart from experiments, the pyroelectric properties of the films are modelled and analyzed by finite element analysis (FEA), which is verified by the experiments as conducted. It demonstrates that the pyroelectric properties of FG-GNP/PVDF composite films are significantly improved compared to the homogeneous GNP/PVDF composite counterparts. It is found that for the same thickness and amount of GNP added, the increase in the number of layers leads to enhanced pyroelectric properties of the composite films. When the GNP concentration of the layer closed to the surfaces of the FG-GNP/PVDF composite film is higher, the pyroelectric properties and temperature stability of the film are more favorable.

Enhanced dielectric properties of polyvinylidene difluoride composite films by boron nitride nanosheet @ metal organic framework hybrid fillers

Generally, it is hard to simultaneously achieve the enhanced dielectric constant and breakdown strength of polymeric composite by simply introducing fillers into polymers. In this work, a novel hybrid fillers boron nitride nanosheet @ metal organic framework (BNNS@MOF), in which the nanoscale UiO-66-NH2 were epitaxially loaded on layer surface of the BNNSs, was prepared by the hydrothermal reaction. The test results indicate that the BNNS@MOF hybrid fillers were endowed with high breakdown resistance of BNNS and high dielectric constant of UiO-66-NH2. After introducing 1 wt% BNNS@MOF hybrid fillers into polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) at the frequency of 102 Hz, PVDF composite films demonstrated a relatively high dielectric constant (ε = 10.7), and energy density (Ue = 6.06 J/cm3) under the high breakdown strength (Eb = 378 MV/m), but low dielectric loss (tan (δ) = 0.039). Compared to PVDF with simply mixed BNNS and UiO-66-NH2 (ε = 12, tan (δ) = 0.061, Ue = 3.14 J/cm3, Eb = 249 MV/m), hybrid fillers showed significant advantages. Our work presented a new idea to construct the PVDF composites with simultaneously enhanced dielectric constant and breakdown strength by introducing hybrid fillers. The hybrid fillers showed promising application in the field of film capacitors.

On digital twinning of fused filament fabrication for tensile properties of polyvinylidene fluoride composites-based functional prototypes

In the last two decades, several studies have been conducted for the process parametric optimization of fused filament fabrication (FFF) with a variety of thermoplastic composites, especially for mechanical properties. But hitherto less has been conveyed, on the development of dynamic reduced order models (ROMs) for digital twining (DT) of tensile properties (of 3D printed implants/scaffolds) with novel thermoplastic-based composites. In this study, for the generation of dynamic ROM (for hybrid analytics), the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio was used to ascertain the best settings of parameters for tensile properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite. The study suggests that the best setting of the FFF process, for the 3D printing of PVDF composite (90% PVDF, 8% hydroxyapatite (HAp), and 2% Chitosan (CS) (for maximizing the tensile properties as per ASTM-D638-Type-V) are nozzle temperature (NT) of 235°C, raster angle (RA) 45°, printing speed (PS) of 60 mm/s respectively resulting in peak load (PL) 394.87 N, peak stress (PSt) 33.92 MPa, Young’s modulus (E) 2.606 MPa. For a modulus of toughness (MOT) of 0.484 MPa, the best settings are NT 230°C, RA 90°, and PS 50 mm/s. The results are supported by the morphological analysis.

Comparation of barium titanate and multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified PVDF composites: A perspective of dielectric, crystalline, rheological and mechanical properties

Ceramic powders and conductive particles are the two most used functional fillers for preparing dielectric polymer composites. In this work, barium titanate (BT) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were mixed in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) by melt blending. The crystal structure, thermodynamic behavior, dielectric, rheological and mechanical properties of PVDF/BT and PVDF/MWCNT composites were systematically studied and compared. It was found that the volume addition of BT was about 100 times that of MWCNT when dielectric constant (ε′) of composites was the same level. For example, the ε′ of PVDF/BT and PVDF/MWCNT were 68.9 (102 Hz) and 70.4 (102 Hz) when the content of BT and MWCNT were 50 vol% and 0.5 vol%, respectively. However, with the addition of 0.5 vol% MWCNT, the dielectric loss (tanδ) of PVDF/MWCNT was significantly higher than that of PVDF/BT. Additionally, BT had a substantial impact on the crystalline and rheological properties, and worsened the mechanical performance of PVDF/BT. Conversely, MWCNT exerted minimal effects on the crystalline and rheological properties, but enhanced the impact and tensile strength of PVDF/MWCNT.

On 3D printed polyvinylidene fluoride-based smart energy storage devices

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is one of the established thermoplastics with inherent piezoelectric characteristics. In the past two decades, a lot of work has been reported on the use of virgin Polyvinylidene fluoride thermoplastics for sensing applications. But hitherto little has been reported on 3D printing of secondary (2°) recycled Polyvinylidene fluoride as a smart energy storage device (ESD). This work is focused on exploring the possibilities for 3D printing of smart energy storage device comprising of Polyvinylidene fluoride having (melt flow index (MFI) 30 g/(10 min) as per ASTM D 1238) reinforced with MnO2, graphite, ZnCl2, and N [Formula: see text] Cl in different weight proportions to form a feedstock filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM) in the first stage. The MFI of Polyvinylidene fluoride composites reinforced with MnO2, graphite, ZnCl2, and N [Formula: see text] Cl (34.095, 8.480, 42.982, 11.807 g/(10 min) respectively) was ascertained for possible 3D printing on FDM. The results suggest that even with an acceptable MFI of prepared 2° recycled Polyvinylidene fluoride, the same was not printable. Further for possible 3D printing on FDM, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was blended in a Polyvinylidene fluoride matrix, and successful 3D printing-based energy storage device was prepared in the second stage. The study also highlights the mechanical, and morphological properties of Polyvinylidene fluoride composites have been improved after processing with a twin-screw extruder (TSE) by using different input parameters (screw temperature (T), screw speed (S), and load (L)). Overall, the study suggests that the proportion of LDPE, MnO2, graphite, ZnCl2, and N [Formula: see text] Cl has a significant effect on the rheological, mechanical, and morphological properties. The results have been supported with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.

On biodegradability of 3D printed polyvinylidene fluoride composites

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is one of the established biocompatible thermoplastics for scaffolding applications. But due to its partial biodegradability, its use as a bio-absorbable implant is limited. Some studies have outlined that reinforcement of hydroxyapatite (HAp), and chitosan (CS) helps in improving the biodegradability of the PVDF composite matrix. But hitherto little has been reported on the biodegradability comparison for virgin PVDF, and PVDF composite matrix (with different proportions of HAp and CS as reinforcement). This study reports the biodegradability of virgin PVDF, 90% PVDF–10% HAp, 90% PVDF–8% HAp–2% CS, and 90% PVDF–9% HAp–1% CS based on a corrosion testing (open circuit potential, polarization resistance, corrosion current, corrosion rate [CR], surface roughness (Ra), and porosity %) in simulated bodily fluid (SBF) for possible bio-absorbable implant applications. The study suggests that the biodegradability of 90% PVDF–9% HAp–1% CS is maximum having CR 26.389mm2/year, mainly due to the presence of more hydroxyl group (-OH). The corresponding porosity % and Ra (after corrosion testing) were noticed as 12.45% and 19.12 µm. The results are supported by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images.

Flexible electrospun PVDF/WO3 nanocomposite fibers for piezoelectric energy harvesting applications

AbstractThe emerging field of energy harvesting depends on the electrically conductive materials that are highly flexible and deformable. The morphological, structural, thermal, mechanical, and piezoelectric output studies of electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PVDF/WO3 nanorods composite nanofibers were investigated for the piezoelectric energy harvesting applications. There is a significant enhancement in the piezoelectric β phase after the addition of the WO3 nanorods into the PVDF. The elemental composition of the PVDF/WO3 nanorods composite nanofibers is confirmed by the W, O, F, and C elements. The thermal stability of the WO3 nanorods added composite nanofibers was increased up to 30°C in reference to TGA responses. Based on the mechanical test, the maximum tensile strength and modulus of elasticity were enhanced around by 220 and 246% for the WO3‐integrated PVDF nanofibers. Furthermore, the piezoelectric coefficient of 18.98 pC/N is achieved for the composite PVDF nanofibers which are mainly due to the improvement of the electroactive β phase. The piezoelectric energy harvesting responses were found an output voltage of 2.1 V based on the microstrain set‐up. Thus, these WO3 nanorods incorporated PVDF nanofibers keep the great potential for the piezoelectric energy harvesting, wearable electronics and biomedical applications.

Electrospun PVDF/Barium hexaferrite fiber composites for enhanced electromagnetic shielding in the X-band range

In the contemporary, digitally–driven era, the prevalence of electronic devices has drastically escalated electromagnetic (EM) pollution levels, marking a significant environmental challenge. Electrospun fiber composites of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Barium hexaferrite (BHF) were analyzed for their potential usage in X-band electromagnetic shielding applications (EMSAs). Pure PVDF and BHF-PVDF fiber composite were manufactured by needleless electrospinning. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and EM measurements utilizing a vector network analyzer (VNA) are all used to describe the prepared samples. The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of BHF into the PVDF matrix. The results show that adding PVDF to BHF in fiber form enhances the reflection loss (RL), indicating improved electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (EMSE). The SEM analysis revealed that the fiber composite had a uniform fiber diameter distribution. In contrast, the TGA analysis demonstrated good thermal stability of the fiber composite. Polymer samples were evaluated to enhance gamma radiation and neutron particle attenuation. MCNP5 and Phy-X/PSD software were used to study semi-crystalline fluorocarbon polymer (PVDF) and barium hex ferrite BaFe12O19 (30 wt%) with PVDF (70 wt%). The MCNP5 programme simulated 0.015–15 MeV radiation attenuation. Additionally, the Phy-X/PSD programme verified the simulated µ values for the chosen Mxenes materials. The MCNP-5 code and Phy-X/PSD results were agreed. The linear attenuation coefficients for the polymer samples ranged from 3.166 to 0.032 cm2.g−1 for PVDF and from 73.960 to 0.113 cm2.g−1 for PVDF and BHF-PVDF Fiber at photon energies from 0.015 to 15 MeV. Overall, the electrospun fiber composite of PVDF and BHF particles shows promise for EMSAs in the X-band range. The enhanced RL observed in our study suggests that these fiber composites could be used to protect against electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from electronic devices, which is increasingly concerning in today's modern society.

Metal-organic frameworks-induced Self-Poling effect of polyvinylidene fluoride nanofibers for performance enhancement of triboelectric nanogenerator

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit various unique properties, but these properties have not been fully utilized for the performance enhancement of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The MOFs with MIL-101(Cr) structure is a nanomaterial designed for extremely large pore structures than conventional MOF structures to absorb and desorb various solvents, which induces a new phenomenon, self-polling effect (SPE) in the organic materials. We verified and suggested the SPE mechanism of the N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solvent by the MIL-101(Cr) structured MOFs in the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers. Because of the SPE, the MOFs-based composite NFs showed enhanced TENG output performances by additionally induced β-phase in the PVDF NFs even after the electrospinning process. The composite PVDF NFs with optimal MOF content of 0.8 wt% showed an output power density of 568.8 µW/cm2, which is larger by 8.96 times compared to the pure PVDF NFs. After the SPE process, the output power density increased to 871.2 µW/cm2, which is 13.7 times larger than that of pure PVDF NFs. Different from the pure PVDF NFs, the MOFs-based composite PVDF NFs showed improved output powers after the SPE process regardless of MOF contents. Based on excellent performance, the TENG with the MOFs-based composite PVDF NFs was sufficiently utilized as a self-powered triggering sensor for smart home devices that can wirelessly operate various electronic devices.

Enhanced dielectric performance of PVDF composites doped with MnO2@carbon particles

Herein, a method is proposed for preparing MnO2@carbon core–shell particles and MnO2@carbon/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composite films. The effect of MnO2@carbon core–shell particles on the dielectric properties of polymer composites was investigated. Furthermore, a comprehensive dielectric property test was conducted on the composite films. The results reveal that with the addition of MnO2@carbon core–shell particles, the dielectric properties of the composite films also improved. The dielectric constant of the 10 wt% MnO2@carbon composite is 24.2 at 100 Hz, which is 3 times that of PVDF (7.68). Currently, the energy storage density of the composite film is 4.95 J cm−3 at ∼2300 kV cm−1. The addition of MnO2@carbon core–shell particles effectively improves the energy storage density of PVDF. Based on this result, the influence of the carbon shell on the dielectric properties of the composite thin films is analysed and discussed. The significant improvement in dielectric properties is mainly due to the increased interfacial polarisation induced by the carbon shell. These characteristics of PVDF/MnO2@carbon composites indicate that the proposed method is a practical pathway to developing high-performance composites.

Tailoring the Thermal Diffusivity of Polyvinylidene Fluoride via Carbon Source Integration: A Photothermal Beam Deflection Study

The work reported in the paper addresses the thermal diffusivity (TD) tuning of the electronic sensor material polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The thermal properties of electronic material were found to influence the device characteristics significantly, demanding novel techniques for TD tuning. The TD value of the carbon sources—hydroxyethyl cellulose (HC), lignin (LG), and camphor soot (CS) and their composites—were measured by the sensitive nondestructive evaluation technique—photothermal beam deflection. When the HC and LG enhanced the TD of PVDF by 237.5% and 27.5%, respectively, CS was found to lower it by 11.25%. The spectroscopic analysis revealed the variation of hydroxyl groups in the samples and suggested its prominence in deciding the TD value. The Fourier transform infrared analysis and beam deflection measurements exhibited a positive correlation between hydroxyl groups and TD, except for the composite PVDF combined with soot. In this case, the amorphous carbon in soot reduced PVDF’s TD due to the heat trap mechanism of carbon allotropes. The induced variation of TD of PVDF via carbon source integration is attributed to the closure of pores in PVDF, revealed through the optical microscopic images, thereby suggesting a methodology for enhancing or reducing TD of PVDF.

Flexible thermoelectric energy harvesting system based on polymer composites

Flexible and easy processing lightweight thermoelectric materials for energy harvesting applications have shown an increasing interest. Thermoplastic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and elastomer styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) polymers reinforced with thermoelectric ceramics, including bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3), bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and antimony telluride (Sb2Te3), and electrically conductive carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been developed, tailoring their thermal and electrical properties for thermoelectric device applications. The Seebeck coefficient of the composites increases with thermoelectric ceramic filler content for semicrystalline PVDF composites, slightly decreasing for amorphous SEBS composite. Thermoelectric power factor and figure-of-merit in the polymer composites increases up to 9 orders of magnitude with respect to the pristine polymer, up to a maximum value of 10−3 µW/(m·K2) and 10−6, respectively, for the PVDF/CNT/Bi2Te3 composite. A device composed by 2 printable p-n thermocouples based on PVDF/50Bi2S3 and PVDF/50Bi2Te3 can generate power in the order of the nW and charge a capacitor with 5 V. Theoretical modeling allows to evaluate different thermoelectric configurations, the effect of the number of thermocouples and the influence of the temperature gradient on device performance.

Microstructure control in printable porous polymer composites

The microstructure of a porous polymer matrix composite, specifically the organization of polymer, particles, and pores, plays a defining role in the physical properties of the material. Developing materials and processes that allow us to control the microstructure gives us a powerful tool to create materials with designed performance. Here, a series of porous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and alumina (Al2O3) composites produced through evaporation induced phase separation (EIPS) are demonstrated. This process utilizes solution processable inks and achieves porosity via a simple drying procedure. This enabled the materials to be printed using direct ink writing (DIW) techniques. The effects of particle size and loading on the mechanical properties and microstructures of these materials were studied. It was found that these materials remain significantly more ductile and extensible than what is expected from particle reinforcement. In the most extreme case, the use of 300 nm Al2O3 particles were found to only minimally reduce strain at failure, even at high loadings. We believe this behavior is enabled by how the EIPS process alters the microstructure of the material and appears to preferentially locate particles at the polymer-pore interface.