posted on 2022-11-07, 21:06authored byKyra McLellan, Terek Li, Yu-Chen Sun, Michael B. Jakubinek, Hani E. Naguib
The development of innovative materials for three-dimensional
(3D)
printing is creating potential opportunities for advancements in additive
manufacturing (AM) technologies, including in four-dimensional (4D)
printing. Through the creation of next-generation shape memory polymer
composites (SMPCs), printed parts can now be bestowed with increased
functionalities including the ability to transform their shape, acting
as smart actuators that respond to the stimuli around them. These
materials are of great interest for development of soft robotic systems,
which can be quickly and affordably manufactured. In this work, a
SMPC consisting of a TPU:PLA polymer blend system with embedded MXene
(Ti3C2) flakes is fabricated and evaluated.
The mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties prove to be
greatly improved with the addition of MXene at 0.5 wt %. At higher
loadings of 2 wt % MXene, the composite shows superb shape memory
effect results in fast recovery to ∼98% its original position
in under 14 s. Rheological behavior and thermal properties were evaluated,
followed by 3D printing using material extrusion. Results show great
potential of MXene-loaded composites for fast shape memory actuation
in 3D/4D printed structures. The potential of such composites is demonstrated
through several printed designs, which show large deformation suitable
for deployable structures.