3D printable gels ensure objects with various functional properties

The process from Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, thermally changes the arrangement of molecular rings on a chemical chain to create 3D printable gels with various functional properties.

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Described by the researchers as ‘kinetic trapping’, the process uses so-called molecular stoppers to regulate the number of rings going onto a polymer chain and also controls ring distributions. When the rings are bunched up, they store kinetic energy that can be released.

Researchers in the Ke Functional Materials Group use heat to change the distribution of rings and then use moisture to activate different shapes of the printed object.

The process of printing objects with different mechanical strengths using a single ink could replace the need to use several inks to print items with multiple properties.

"This new method uses heat to produce and control 3D inks with varieties of properties," said Chenfeng Ke, an assistant professor of chemistry and the senior researcher on the study. "It's a process that could make the 3D printing of complex objects easier and less expensive."