Electrically conductive high-performance thermoplastic filaments for fused filament fabrication
- Submitting institution
-
Royal College of Art(The)
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- Ozden-Yenigun1
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
-
10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.111930
- Title of journal
- Composite Structures
- Article number
- 111930
- First page
- 1
- Volume
- 237
- Issue
- -
- ISSN
- 0263-8223
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month of publication
- -
- Year of publication
- 2020
- URL
-
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263822319345337?via%3Dihub
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
4
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This research funded by Boeing Global responded to the challenge of producing non-metallic conductive printable filaments for additive manufacturing through the inclusion of carbon nanotubes. The study prescribes a material-led processing protocol that does not require any viscosity modifier, dispersing agent or network breaker, offering high-performance aerospace-grade material composition. The new insights on building effective conduction networks through the process optimisation highlighted the possibility of entirely recyclable high-performance polymers. This peer-reviewed output suggested a workable fabrication methodology that can be offered to a wide range of thermoplastic polymers from low-end to highly demanding aerospace grade. The contribution of the engineering knowledge in the extrusion process design eliminates material dependencies and suggested new recyclable compositions. Avoiding material restraints in additive manufacturing, particularly for standard 3D printers, could open up new avenues in soft technologies, such as recyclable sensory surfaces, and conductive components. This output focused on a very high-end polymer application: an aerospace-grade conductive polymer composition that can be printed to construct different forms and shapes. Since the research was rooted in polymer physics, at each length scale material characterization and thorough mechanical tests were performed, the dependency of material composition and the electrical response being supported by atomic imagery. The idea of conductive recyclable 3D filaments and surfaces can be pushed further to be compatible with home-built tools and printers in a vision for future tech craft. This research led by Dr Ozden-Yenigun is concerned with proposing novel material systems from the molecular scale up to final demonstrators rooted in textile design, a key element of the RCA STEM+Design strategy.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -
