Menasce Stefano, Libanori Rafael, Coulter Fergal, Studart André R
Complex Materials, Department of Materials, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Dec 18;16(50):69919-69928. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c16860. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
Silicones find use in a myriad of applications from sealants and adhesives to cooking utensils and medical implants. However, state-of-the-art silicone parts fall short in terms of shape complexity and reprocessability. Advances in three-dimensional printing and the discovery of vitrimers have recently opened opportunities for shaping and recycling of silicone objects. Here, we report the 3D printing via direct ink writing of silicone vitrimers into complex-shaped parts with high strength and room-temperature reprocessability. The reprocessing properties of the printed objects result from the adaptive nature of the silicone vitrimer, which can deform under stress without losing its network connectivity. Rheological and mechanical experiments reveal that printable inks can be tuned to generate strong parts with high creep resistance and room-temperature reprocessability, two properties that are usually challenging to reconcile in vitrimers. By combining printability, high strength, and room-temperature reprocessability, the reported silicone vitrimers represent an attractive sustainable alternative to currently available elastomers in a broad range of established and prospective applications.
有机硅在众多应用中都有使用，从密封剂和粘合剂到炊具以及医用植入物。然而，目前最先进的有机硅部件在形状复杂性和可再加工性方面存在不足。三维打印技术的进步以及玻璃态弹性体的发现，最近为有机硅物体的成型和回收创造了机会。在此，我们报告了通过直接墨水书写将有机硅玻璃态弹性体3D打印成具有高强度和室温可再加工性的复杂形状部件。打印物体的再加工特性源于有机硅玻璃态弹性体的自适应特性，它在应力作用下可以变形而不会失去其网络连通性。流变学和力学实验表明，可打印油墨可以进行调整，以制造出具有高抗蠕变性和室温可再加工性的坚固部件，而这两种特性在玻璃态弹性体中通常很难兼顾。通过结合可打印性、高强度和室温可再加工性，所报道的有机硅玻璃态弹性体在广泛的现有和潜在应用中，是目前可用弹性体具有吸引力的可持续替代品。
