Breakthrough in 3D-printed self-healing soft materials

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 2-3
Author(s):  
Laurie Donaldson
Keyword(s):  
Soft Materials ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
3D Printed

scholarly journals Effect of mesoscale phase contrast on fatigue-delaying behavior of self-healing hydrogels

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (16) ◽  
pp. eabe8210
Author(s):  
Xueyu Li ◽  
Kunpeng Cui ◽  
Takayuki Kurokawa ◽  
Ya Nan Ye ◽  
Tao Lin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crack Growth ◽  
Fatigue Resistance ◽  
Phase Contrast ◽  
Stress Singularity ◽  
Soft Materials ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Strong Phase ◽  
Mesoscale Structure ◽  
High Fatigue ◽  
Affine Deformation

We investigate the fatigue resistance of chemically cross-linked polyampholyte hydrogels with a hierarchical structure due to phase separation and find that the details of the structure, as characterized by SAXS, control the mechanisms of crack propagation. When gels exhibit a strong phase contrast and a low cross-linking level, the stress singularity around the crack tip is gradually eliminated with increasing fatigue cycles and this suppresses crack growth, beneficial for high fatigue resistance. On the contrary, the stress concentration persists in weakly phase-separated gels, resulting in low fatigue resistance. A material parameter, λtran, is identified, correlated to the onset of non-affine deformation of the mesophase structure in a hydrogel without crack, which governs the slow-to-fast transition in fatigue crack growth. The detailed role played by the mesoscale structure on fatigue resistance provides design principles for developing self-healing, tough, and fatigue-resistant soft materials.

scholarly journals Fabrication of 3D-Printed Interpenetrating Hydrogel Scaffolds for Promoting Chondrogenic Differentiation

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2146
Author(s):  
Jian Guan ◽  
Fu-zhen Yuan ◽  
Zi-mu Mao ◽  
Hai-lin Zhu ◽  
Lin Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Elastic Modulus ◽  
Chondrogenic Differentiation ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate ◽  
3D Microenvironment ◽  
3D Printed

The limited self-healing ability of cartilage necessitates the application of alternative tissue engineering strategies for repairing the damaged tissue and restoring its normal function. Compared to conventional tissue engineering strategies, three-dimensional (3D) printing offers a greater potential for developing tissue-engineered scaffolds. Herein, we prepared a novel photocrosslinked printable cartilage ink comprising of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), and chondroitin sulfate methacrylate (CSMA). The PEGDA-GelMA-CSMA scaffolds possessed favorable compressive elastic modulus and degradation rate. In vitro experiments showed good adhesion, proliferation, and F-actin and chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the scaffolds. When the CSMA concentration was increased, the compressive elastic modulus, GAG production, and expression of F-actin and cartilage-specific genes (COL2, ACAN, SOX9, PRG4) were significantly improved while the osteogenic marker genes of COL1 and ALP were decreased. The findings of the study indicate that the 3D-printed PEGDA-GelMA-CSMA scaffolds possessed not only adequate mechanical strength but also maintained a suitable 3D microenvironment for differentiation, proliferation, and extracellular matrix production of BMSCs, which suggested this customizable 3D-printed PEGDA-GelMA-CSMA scaffold may have great potential for cartilage repair and regeneration in vivo.

Effect of 3D-Printed Microvascular Network Design on the Self-Healing Behavior of Cross-Linked Polymers

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (16) ◽  
pp. 14371-14378 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Postiglione ◽  
M. Alberini ◽  
S. Leigh ◽  
M. Levi ◽  
S. Turri
Keyword(s):  
Network Design ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Microvascular Network ◽  
3D Printed

On 3D printing of electro-active PVDF-Graphene and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticle-based composite as a self-healing repair solution for heritage structures

2021 ◽  
pp. 095440542110609
Author(s):  
Vinay Kumar ◽  
Rupinder Singh ◽  
Inderpreet Singh Ahuja
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Nano Particles ◽  
Zno Nanoparticle ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
Crack Repair ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Doped Zno ◽  
Mn Doped

Construction is the part of human activity which is directly linked to urbanization for moving ahead on the path of growth and prosperity. Construction activities in past centuries are now part of our precious heritage. The repair and maintenance of heritage structures are of great importance for present-day researchers. One of the most common damage these century-long constructions faces are in form of surface cracks. In the present study, investigations were performed for a 3D printing-based customized solution for crack repair and maintenance of heritage structures. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer was reinforced with graphene (Gr) and Mn-doped ZnO nano-particles to prepare a smart composite material for crack repair and restoration. The composite was successfully 3D printed on fused deposition modeling (FDM) based 3D printer after investigating its rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties. The in-house developed composite was tested for smart characteristics to use as a programmable solution for filling cracks. The piezoelectric property and dielectric constant of 3D printed disk-shaped composite (PVDF-Gr-Mn-ZnO) were obtained after DC poling (to be used as stimulus) of the functional prototype. The results of the study suggest that the electro-active nature, volumetric change, and charge storing capacity of the additively manufactured composite may be used practically to acquire the shape of cavity/crack present in the constructed wall and repair the damages that occurred in a heritage site. The photoluminescence (PLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis was used to ascertain the properties of the prepared composite. Also, the results obtained from the morphological analysis are reported to support the outcomes of the research.

scholarly journals Mesoscale bicontinuous networks in self-healing hydrogels delay fatigue fracture

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (14) ◽  
pp. 7606-7612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyu Li ◽  
Kunpeng Cui ◽  
Tao Lin Sun ◽  
Lingpu Meng ◽  
Chengtao Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Fracture ◽  
Polymer Network ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Soft Materials ◽  
Biological Tissues ◽  
Crack Advance ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Hard Phase ◽  
Soft Phase ◽  
Simple Model System

Load-bearing biological tissues, such as muscles, are highly fatigue-resistant, but how the exquisite hierarchical structures of biological tissues contribute to their excellent fatigue resistance is not well understood. In this work, we study antifatigue properties of soft materials with hierarchical structures using polyampholyte hydrogels (PA gels) as a simple model system. PA gels are tough and self-healing, consisting of reversible ionic bonds at the 1-nm scale, a cross-linked polymer network at the 10-nm scale, and bicontinuous hard/soft phase networks at the 100-nm scale. We find that the polymer network at the 10-nm scale determines the threshold of energy release rateG0above which the crack grows, while the bicontinuous phase networks at the 100-nm scale significantly decelerate the crack advance until a transitionGtranfar aboveG0. In situ small-angle X-ray scattering analysis reveals that the hard phase network suppresses the crack advance to show decelerated fatigue fracture, andGtrancorresponds to the rupture of the hard phase network.

scholarly journals Development of 3D Printed Networks in Self-Healing Concrete

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina De Nardi ◽  
Diane Gardner ◽  
Anthony Duncan Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
Vascular System ◽  
Physical And Mechanical Properties ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Vascular Networks ◽  
Minimal Impact ◽  
Cementitious Matrix ◽  
Healing Agent ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Concrete Elements

This paper presents a new form of biomimetic cementitious material, which employs 3D-printed tetrahedral mini-vascular networks (MVNs) to store and deliver healing agents to damage sites within cementitious matrices. The MVNs are required to not only protect the healing agent for a sufficient period of time but also survive the mixing process, release the healing agent when the cementitious matrix is damaged, and have minimal impact on the physical and mechanical properties of the host cementitious matrix. A systematic study is described which fulfilled these design requirements and determined the most appropriate form and material for the MVNs. A subsequent series of experiments showed that MVNs filled with sodium silicate, embedded in concrete specimens, are able to respond effectively to damage, behave as a perfusable vascular system and thus act as healing agent reservoirs that are available for multiple damage-healing events. It was also proved that healing agents encapsulated within these MVNs can be transported to cracked zones in concrete elements under capillary driving action, and produce a recovery of strength, stiffness and fracture energy.

scholarly journals Smart polymers for cell therapy and precision medicine

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Jin Huang ◽  
Yu-Liang Tsai ◽  
Shih-Ho Lin ◽  
Shan-hui Hsu
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Cell Therapy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Precision Medicine ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Soft Materials ◽  
Smart Polymers ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Thermally Responsive

Abstract Soft materials have been developed very rapidly in the biomedical field over the past 10 years because of advances in medical devices, cell therapy, and 3D printing for precision medicine. Smart polymers are one category of soft materials that respond to environmental changes. One typical example is the thermally-responsive polymers, which are widely used as cell carriers and in 3D printing. Self-healing polymers are one type of smart polymers that have the capacity to recover the structure after repeated damages and are often injectable through needles. Shape memory polymers are another type with the ability to memorize their original shape. These smart polymers can be used as cell/drug/protein carriers. Their injectability and shape memory performance allow them to be applied in bioprinting, minimally invasive surgery, and precision medicine. This review will describe the general materials design, characterization, as well as the current progresses and challenges of these smart polymers.

Meniscal tissue engineering via 3D printed PLA monolith with carbohydrate based self-healing interpenetrating network hydrogel

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 1358-1371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santosh Gupta ◽  
Akriti Sharma ◽  
J. Vasantha Kumar ◽  
Vineeta Sharma ◽  
Piyush Kumar Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Interpenetrating Network ◽  
Meniscal Tissue ◽  
3D Printed

scholarly journals 3D Printing of a Self-Healing Thermoplastic Polyurethane through FDM: From Polymer Slab to Mechanical Assessment

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Linda Ritzen ◽  
Vincenzo Montano ◽  
Santiago J. Garcia
Keyword(s):  
3D Printing ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Thermoplastic Polyurethane ◽  
The Self ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Fused Deposition Modelling ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
3D Printed

The use of self-healing (SH) polymers to make 3D-printed polymeric parts offers the potential to increase the quality of 3D-printed parts and to increase their durability and damage tolerance due to their (on-demand) dynamic nature. Nevertheless, 3D-printing of such dynamic polymers is not a straightforward process due to their polymer architecture and rheological complexity and the limited quantities produced at lab-scale. This limits the exploration of the full potential of self-healing polymers. In this paper, we present the complete process for fused deposition modelling of a room temperature self-healing polyurethane. Starting from the synthesis and polymer slab manufacturing, we processed the polymer into a continuous filament and 3D printed parts. For the characterization of the 3D printed parts, we used a compression cut test, which proved useful when limited amount of material is available. The test was able to quasi-quantitatively assess both bulk and 3D printed samples and their self-healing behavior. The mechanical and healing behavior of the 3D printed self-healing polyurethane was highly similar to that of the bulk SH polymer. This indicates that the self-healing property of the polymer was retained even after multiple processing steps and printing. Compared to a commercial 3D-printing thermoplastic polyurethane, the self-healing polymer displayed a smaller mechanical dependency on the printing conditions with the added value of healing cuts at room temperature.

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