Groundbreaking Discovery in Nature's Mold Leads to Thinnest 3D-Printed Fibers to Date
Engineers have been taking cues from nature for centuries, and now they've managed to create ultra-fine fibers that could put spider silk and hagfish slime to shame. A team of international researchers used a modern 3D-printing technique to craft microfibers just 1.5 microns thick. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications on January 20, this achievement surpasses a significant barrier in 3D printing: producing soft, minute materials.
Mohammad Tanver Hossain, an engineer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, shared his excitement about the discovery in a university statement: "Nature boasts countless examples of thread-like structures with diameters in a few microns. We knew it was possible."
The researchers' groundbreaking technique, called embedded printing, involves depositing material into a gel mold. Unlike traditional 3D printing, which builds from the ground up, this method supports the material's shape and allows for more intricate structures. However, even with embedded 3D printing, extremely thin fibers usually break during the curing process due to their fragility.
To tackle this issue, the team modified the gel and print ink, causing the ink to harden instantaneously after being deposited. With this method in place, they managed to print fibers that were just 1.5 microns thick. For comparison, paper is usually between 50 and 200 microns thick.
The researchers were inspired by hagfish, an eel-like marine creature that produces an incredibly versatile slime. The microfibers within the slime provide its remarkable properties.
"We adopted embedded 3D printing as a method to mimic these threads," said engineer Wonsik Eom at Dankook University. "With this technology, we discovered that we could replicate a much wider range of natural structures than we initially anticipated."
Sameh Tawfick, another engineer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, emphasized the significance of the method: "This approach allows us to produce complex 3D hair with fine diameters, using an ultraprecise 3D printer."
Although the study showcases the potential of bio-inspired 3D printing, it serves as a reminder that Mother Nature still outshines humanity as the ultimate engineer.
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The researchers adopted several advanced techniques to achieve this finest resolution in 3D printing. Among these methods are:
- Embedded Solvent Exchange Method: a. Rapid Solvent Exchange: This involves depositing material into a support medium like hydrogel, boosting the gel's capacity to support complex structures and eliminate the necessity for removable support. b. Inhibition of Capillary Breakup: Modifying the gel and print ink causes the ink to solidify instantly upon deposition, preventing filament breakage due to surface tension.
- High-Resolution Electrospinning (MEW): a. Electrostatic Forces: MEW utilizes electrostatic forces to pull polymer through a nozzle, producing fine fibers. A high voltage (10-30 kV) is applied to the polymer melt, enabling fiber formation with micrometric diameters. b. Precise Temperature Control: The polymer must be melted at accurate temperatures to manage viscosity, ensuring the required fluidity and electrical attraction for high-resolution fiber production.
- Multi-Nozzle Printing: a. Parallel Nozzle Printing: Using multiple nozzles simultaneously promotes rapid fiber manufacturing, especially for intricate hair arrays with fine diameters and continuous lengths.
These strategies collectively enable the production of microfibers with diameters as small as 1.5 microns, matching naturally occurring fine structures and surpassing conventional 3D printing barriers.
- The groundbreaking achievement in 3D printing technology by the international team surpasses the barrier of producing soft, minute materials, as detailed in a study published in Nature Communications.
- Mohammad Tanver Hossain, an engineer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, highlighted that the team knew it was possible to create microfibers comparable to nature's thread-like structures.
- The researchers overcame the issue of fragile fibers breaking during the curing process by modifying the gel and print ink, causing the ink to harden instantaneously after deposition.
- Sameh Tawfick emphasized that the method of producing complex 3D hair with fine diameters using an ultraprecise 3D printer has significant implications, enriching the field of technology and science.
