Additive Manufacturing Special Report - November 2023 - 21

3D Printing Stronger Carbon Nanotubes
A scalable method can 3D print carbon nanotube films that are stronger and more durable
than existing versions of the material.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
esearchers in the Lyding Group
at the University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign have discovered
an efficient, sustainable method for
3D-printing single-walled carbon
nanotube films, a versatile, durable
material that can transform how
we explore space, engineer aircraft,
and wear electronic technology.
Made of carbon-based tubes
with diameters between 1 and 2
nanometers wide, this small-butmighty
material has been scrutinized by
researchers for decades. Gang Wang,
the study's lead author, discovered
a novel way to produce them.
Gang WangGang Wang, a former
Beckman Institute researcher, is a lead
coauthor on a study that discovered
a novel method for 3D-printing
carbon nanotube films. " We were
inspired by the idea of creating a
material that is lightweight, but
strong and conductive like metals, "
said Wang, a former researcher at
the Beckman Institute for Advanced
Science and Technology. " After
R
many attempts, we chose a printing
method based on a 3D printer, which
produces the film with outstanding
properties and high efficiency. "
His method, which is reported in
Nano- Micro Letters, is easily scalable
and environmentally friendly. Forgoing
polymers in favor of a simpler recipe
consisting of carbon powder, ink,
and a 3D printer enables the team
to create carbon nanotube films that
are stronger and more durable than
existing versions of the material.
Despite weighing only onefifteenth
of what copper weighs,
carbon nanotubes are more
thermally conductive than their metal
counterpart. This helps the materials
weather extreme temperature swings
not unlike those experienced in space.
" Spacecraft could certainly benefit
from the addition of carbon nanotubes.
In space, materials are subjected
to extreme temperature changes
depending on whether they are facing
the sun or the cold of deep space.
Our films could easily withstand
these changes, " Lyding said.
Though approximately 100,000
times narrower than a cloth
thread, carbon nanotubes share
a function with wool, cotton, and
felt - the material's mechanical
flexibility is an ideal characteristic
of wearable electronics, refusing
to break even after experiencing
" deformations like bending, twisting,
and kneading, " Wang said.
The films have just as many uses
within Earth's atmosphere as without.
Their mechanical flexibility, for example,
makes them ideal for vehicles in the air
and on land that sustain high levels of
jostling and vibration - for example,
a rocket launch or moving aircraft.
" Their chemical durability may be
useful for prolonging device lifetime
or for use in equipment subject to
extreme chemical conditions such as
inside of chemical reaction vessels
or in equipment used for chemical
spill cleanup, " Lyding said.
For more information, Jenna
Kurtzweil at kurtzwe2@illinois.edu.
Gloved hands display a carbon nanotube film, which is rectangular and similar in size to a small piece of cardstock. (Image: University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign)
ADDITIVE
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NOVEMBER 2023 21

Additive Manufacturing Special Report - November 2023

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