S. Jambhulkar, K. Song
Arizona state university,
United States
Keywords: nanoparticles, alignment, templating effects
Summary:
Nanoparticles have excellent mechanical, electrical, thermal and other functional properties. Many nanoparticles, including 1D fibers and 2D platelets, show anisotropic properties with better reinforcement effects along fiber axis or plane directions. This research has studied how the pattern surfaces manufactured using 3D printing method helped with nanoparticle alignment. Parameters such as surface roughnesses, surface tension, surface topology, and nanoparticle dimensions (i.e., length, dimensional numbers, aspect ratios) have been studied regarding their influences on nanoparticle orientations. Polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, rheology meter, and mechanical testers have been used to study the impacts of nanoparticle alignment on mechanical parameters of 3D printed parts. This research sheds light on the nanoparticle orientation mechanisms in 3D printing procedures, implying potential applications in automobile engineering, aerospace science, the pharmaceutical industry, among other areas.