'The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology'
Abstract
Biomedical applications are one of the driving forces for Additive
Manufacturing, however to extend the range of applications and markets new
materials are required. A new type of biodegradable Polycaprolactone (PCL) based
ink that is suitable for 3D inkjet printing was successfully developed. UV curable PCL
was synthesized and mixed with Poly(ethylene glycol) di-acrylated (PEGDA) to
prepare an ink with suitable viscosity for inkjet printing. Their mechanical properties
as well as the printing accuracy were measured by nano-indentation and scanning
electron microscopy. Post curing was applied to printed samples in order to study
how post curing may influence sample properties. It was found that within 30min
post-curing period, the sample’s surface which is direct illuminated by UV light
increased from 31.22MPa to 70.20MPa while the bottom surface showed less
incensement from 34.9MPa to 39.8MPa.Mechanical Engineerin
