UK team advances 3D printing with rubber
ERJ staff report (PR)
London - A research team at Loughborough University in the UK is seeking to develop new methods for 3D printing with elastomers, the IoM3 reports in the latest issue of its Materials World magazine.
The work was highlighted by recent KTN Innovation with Elastomers event, by research fellow Dr Jane Clarke, who is part of a team researching inkjet printing with latex.
Five types of latex were tested for inkjet printing suitability – carboxylated butadiene-acrylonitrile, carboxylated styrene butadiene (XSBR), chlorobutadiene, natural rubber and prevulcanised natural rubber.
As part of its work, the team printed a 2cm x 2cm square of latex comprised of 10 layers onto a silicon-coated paper, for a thickness of about 18μm.
Materials were judged on three criteria – particle size, viscosity and surface tension. Of the materials tested, XSBR was the most suitable, said the report.
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