
How Additives Impact the Printing Quality of Silicone
Due to the high customizability and low cost, direct ink writing (DIW) for silicone 3D printing has been developed in areas such as soft actuators, medical implants, and wearable devices. However, the long curing period and low viscosity of silicone limited the printability in the DIW process. Introducing additives is a common and economical approach to adjusting the properties of silicone. In this paper, two additives were investigated: silica and Chemlok. Silica is a commonly applied rheology modifier and enforcing filler for silicone, while Chemlok, a rubber adhesive, improves the adhesion between silicone and plastic filaments in multi-material printing. We collected the flow measurement data of silicone with different content of silica and Chemlok. We analyzed the impact of the two additives on the viscosity and shear thinning properties of silicone ink, which is critical for the printability of DIW ink. The printing performance of a series of composite silicone ink was evaluated by shape-holding and overhang properties. Besides, the adhesion force between Chemlok/silicone and several plastic filaments was compared. The work could provide a reference for DIW silicone ink design and material selection.
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Work Title | How Additives Impact the Printing Quality of Silicone |
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License | No Copyright - U.S. |
Work Type | Research Paper |
Publication Date | July 2022 |
Deposited | October 10, 2023 |