3D printing of thermoset polymers for industrial and commercial applications
Abstract
Additive manufacturing (AM) is currently a $5 billion a year business and is expected to grow rapidly (growth was 25% in 2016) over the next 50 years. This proposal seeks to commercialize technology expected to be a significant part of this growth: enabling the use of thermally cured thermoset polymers. The growth potential of AM stems from its potential to revolutionize the manufacturing supply chain from large to small volume production, or in other words, AM has the potential to reduce the capital required to reach minimum efficient scale for production, thus lowering the entry barriers to manufacturing. Compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, AM is able to combine highly reconfigurable production (a hallmark of machining) with the rapid and cheaper production of casting. The flexibility of AM facilitates an increase in the variety of products a unit of capital can produce, reducing the costs associated with production changeovers and customization. Because of these advantages, AM enables end-users to design and create products on-demand much closer to their location of use. This shortening of the supply chain will increase possible geometric complexity, decrease system complexity, and increase customization for AM markets such as automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, and the DoD. In order to realize the full potential of AM for any market, it is important to have access to a full complement of materials. Plastics are one important area of traditional manufacture and thus an important target for AM. Our work focuses on one class of plastics -- thermally cured thermoset polymers. This class of materials is made from dense networks of intertwined polymer chains which provide excellent thermal and chemical stability with properties highly desirable for industrial, medical, and defense applications. However, the means of curing thermosets has not been readily adapted for the rapid start-stop curing cycles needed for AM. Our technology provides a new method for curing thermoset materials, allowing thermosets to be used for AM. Our technology utilizes the photothermal effect of nanoparticles to provide the rapid heating and cooling cycles required for precise control over polymerization in time and space, enabling AM of thermally cured thermosets. To date, we have demonstrated that our technology provides billion-fold enhancement of the curing rate for polyurethanes and PDMS, allowing us to cure these systems on timescales on the order of microseconds. This proposal outlines work aimed at evaluating the commercial potential of our technology for AM and to form partnerships with our first customers for our technology. To accomplish this goal, we have assembled a team consisting of the PI and graduate student (EL) who developed this technology, as well as a Mentor with over 30 years experience in the production and commercialization of polymers. In addition, our Mentor currently works for Deloitte, one of the premier consulting firms for the AM and traditional manufacturing markets and has strong connections with Penn State, the PI and ELÕs home institution. Together our team is well-situated to pursue commercialization of our technology. Our first target customers are companies which already supply thermally cured thermosets for whom we can provide formulations with new capabilities for AM. We have already had contact with major internationally recognized companies including: DOW, 3M, Covestro (formerly Bayer), PPG, BASF, Arkema, and Actuated Medical. By licensing our technology, we plan to introduce a new class of commercially viable AM materials -- thermally cured thermoset polymers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 11, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710602
Entities
People
- Benjamin J. Lear
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Pennsylvania State University