A demo of the 3D printer printing a layer with gel.
As part of a laboratory project, I was tasked with testing numerous aerogel-like materials in terms of how they performed when formed into a specific structure using a specialized 3D printer.
The specific variables that were watched included (but are not limited to) pressure exerted on the material as it is extruded, extrusion diameter, and speed of extrusion unit. These tests are to prove if these materials could one day be mass-produced by finding the right properties to form them with consistent final qualities, mainly structural integrity.
Potential Real-World Applications
The main property tying these gels together was their porosity, which was used for completely different applications in each gel. The gels tested are the following, but not limited to:
A highly conductive gel which had electromagnetic interference shielding, through absorbing EM waves into its structure that eventually dissipate due to losing energy on each collision.
A gel that could absorb hydrocarbons within its pores and had a noticeable ferrous content, allowing it to be manipulated with a magnetic field.
A gel designed to be used as a wound dressing, with pores that could take in medicine and release it through an external heat source.
The Challenges
The 3D printer can have unusual outputs. There are a few reasons why this could happen, what this means for the gel, and how it can be approached:
Clogged nozzle or bad flowrate: The gel formulation causes it to become too thick to flow. This can be changed by changing formulation steps to thin the solution, or the nozzle is too narrow/not enough pressure exerted.
Air bubbles within nozzle: Can be noticed by the structure appearing to be blown down upon by the needle. This isn't a gel issue, but a nozzle loading issue that is easy to address.
Visually compromised structure: Identified by uneven structure wall thickness, or the appearance of gel blobs/too much liquid in the sample. Gel composition should definitely be altered, and nozzle loading procedure should be checked.
Extra Images
A closer look at the gel's pores, using a microscope.
