3D Printing of TPU‐Liquid Metal Composite Inks for the Preparation of Flexible Sensing Electronics
Dr. Shuting Liang,
Dr. Mengjun Huang,
Dr. Dabo Jiang,
Dr. Jianyang Chen,
Prof. Liang Hu,
Mr. Jiujia Chen,
Mr. Zhezi Wang
Affiliations
Dr. Shuting Liang
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Dr. Mengjun Huang
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Dr. Dabo Jiang
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Dr. Jianyang Chen
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Prof. Liang Hu
Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering Beihang University Beijing 100191 China
Mr. Jiujia Chen
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Mr. Zhezi Wang
College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Chongqing Key Laboratory for Resource Utilization of Heavy Metal Wastewater Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences Chongqing 402160 PR China
Abstract Direct 3D printing of liquid metal is difficult to form and easy to destroy. In this paper, we developed a 3D printed composite material consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix and liquid metal (LM) dispersed droplets, and introduced the method for realizing 3D printed devices with this composite material: First, the LM is added to 10~50wt %TPU at 190~200 °C through ultrasonic blending to prepare blended ink. After solid cooling, the LM‐TPU composite fiber with a diameter of 600 μm was prepared by Wellzoom desktop extruder at 190 °C at an extrusion speed of 400 mm/min. It has excellent elasticity, with a tensile limit of 0.637 N/m2, and the TPU could evenly wrap LM droplets. Finally, the LM‐TPU fiber is 3D printed at 240 °C by using a 3D printer, and 2D/3D flexible electronic devices with heating and conductive functions could be prepared. The microcircuit has good electrical conductivity; after adding voltage, the circuit has heat release; it could be used as heating equipment to keep warm and used in various flexible wearable electronic products.
