Additive Manufacturing And Synthesis Of Advanced Antibacterial And Sensing Photocurable Polymer Nanocomposites

Abstract

This work covers the synthesis, manufacturing techniques, and characterization of several novel nanocomposites produced with direct light processing-based additive manufacturing systems. Custom thermodynamic and UV control systems are implemented for photocurable resin systems to synthesize and manufacture up to 14 novel nanocomposites. These novel nanocomposites are synthesized to improve tensile strength, wear resistance, water contact angle, antibacterial resistance, and heat dispersion. Low-cost market-available printing systems are utilized with custom-designed enclosures and monitoring devices to allow printing with novel nanocomposites. This research discusses the advanced properties offered by each nanocomposite utilizing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in weight concentrations as high as 7.5%. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are also utilized in weight concentrations of up to 1%. A total of 5 different base resins are tested to demonstrate the effect of different oligomers and monomers on creating a matrix suited for nanocomposite addition. Secondary functions such as strain sensing are evaluated for human motion detection utilizing custom printed sensors, and ultimate tensile strength increases of over 200% are observed. The base matrix strength is improved with CNT concentrations as low as 0.5%. Wear resistance is documented to improve by over 15% in titanium dioxide and zinc oxide samples at 7.5% weight concentrations. Optimization studies are performed to determine the cure rate and in situ curing characteristics' effect on final part strength for CNT nanocomposites. Lastly, CNT alignment is explored through modification of printing parameters and resin viscosity curves to aid in part strength. This work demonstrates the ability to manufacture nanocomposite-reinforced parts that exhibit significantly improved physical, thermal, electrical, and antibacterial properties at high fidelity on low-cost hardware ideal for the medical, automotive, and aerospace sectors.