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Abstract Due to its inbuilt ability to release biocompatible materials encapsulating living cells in a predefined location, 3D bioprinting is a promising technique for regenerating patient-specific tissues and organs. Among various 3D bioprinting techniques, extrusion-based 3D bio-printing ensures a higher percentage of cell release, ensuring suitable external and internal scaffold architectures. Scaffold architecture is mainly defined by filament geometry and width. A systematic selection of a set of process parameters, such as nozzle diameter, print speed, print distance, extrusion pressure, and material viscosity, can control the filament geometry and width, eventually confirming the user-defined scaffold porosity. For example, carefully selecting two sets of process parameters can result in a similar filament width. However, the lack of availability of sufficient analytical relations between printing process parameters and filament width creates a barrier to achieving defined scaffold architectures with available resources. In this paper, filament width was determined using an image processing technique and an analytical relationship was developed, including various process parameters to maintain defined filament width variation for different hydrogels within an acceptable range to confirm the overall geometric fidelity of the scaffold. Proposed analytical relations can help achieve defined scaffold architectures with available resources.
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Self‐Regulative Direct Ink Writing of Frontally Polymerizing Thermoset Polymers
Abstract The ability to manufacture highly intricate designs is one of the key advantages of 3D printing. Achieving high dimensional accuracy requires precise, often time‐consuming calibration of the process parameters. Computerized feedback control systems for 3D printing enable sensing and real‐time adaptation and optimization of these parameters at every stage of the print, but multiple challenges remain with sensor embedment and measurement accuracy. In contrast to these active control approaches, here, the authors harness frontal polymerization (FP) to rapidly cure extruded filament in tandem with the printing process. A temperature gradient present along the filament, which is dependent on the printing parameters, can impose control over this exothermic reaction. Experiments and theory reveal a self‐regulative mechanism between filament temperature and cure kinetics that allows the frontal cure speed to autonomously match the print speed. This self‐regulative printing process rapidly adapts to changes in print speed and environmental conditions to produce complex, high‐fidelity structures and freestanding architectures spanning up to 100 mm, greatly expanding the capabilities of direct ink writing (DIW).
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- Award ID(s):
- 1933932
- PAR ID:
- 10371241
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Advanced Materials Technologies
- Volume:
- 7
- Issue:
- 9
- ISSN:
- 2365-709X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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