Graphene 3D printing: introduction and market status - Page 9

Researchers at Michigan Technological University are gaining progress in their work to 3D print replacement nerves using 3D bioprinting techniques. The team has developed polymer materials that can act as a scaffold for growing tissues and is working on integrating graphene as the electrical conductor.

If successful, the combination of the suitable bio-inks, printing technology and conductive graphene may enable the creation of electricity-based medical applications, like functional nerve tissues that can be transplanted into patients.

Researchers at Northwestern University developed a solution-based graphene ink that can be 3D-printed under ambient conditions via simple extrusion into arbitrarily shaped, electrically conductive, mechanically resilient and biocompatible scaffolds with filaments ranging in diameter from 100 to 1000 µm. The resulting material is very flexible, can be easily printed into small or large scale (multiple centimeters) objects, and may hold the potential for printing electronics as well as body parts.

The printed objects contain a high level of graphene while maintaining structural integrity, which is enabled by the particular biocompatible elastomer binder PLG that was chosen in combination with the solvent system. This could be a revolutionary method for producing biomaterials for nervous tissue regeneration, and also biomaterials that are scalable and not very expensive to produce since these novel 3D printable graphene inks are relatively easy to produce, can be rapidly fabricated into an infinite variety of forms (including patient specific implants), and are also surgically friendly (can be adjusted to size and sutured to surrounding tissue).

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory created graphene aerogel microlattices with an engineered architecture using a 3D printing technique known as direct ink writing. These lightweight aerogels have high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical stiffness and exhibit supercompressibility (up to 90% compressive strain). In addition, the researchers claim that these 3D printed graphene aerogel microlattices show great improvement over bulk graphene materials and much better mass transport.

A common problem in creating bulk graphene aerogels is the occurrence of a largely random pore structure, thus excluding the ability to tailor transport and additional mechanical properties of the material for specific applications such as batteries and sensors. Making graphene aerogels with engineered architectures is greatly assisted by 3D printing, which allows to design the pore structure of the aerogel, permitting control over many properties. This development, as per the scientists, could open up the design space for using aerogels in novel and creative applications.

Representatives of The Canadian Sunvault recently attended the Wall Street Conference in Florida where they presented a 1000 farad graphene supercapacitor. This is claimed by the company to be the largest graphene supercapacitor developed to date and a technology that will in the future compete with, if not potentially replace, the lithium battery. 

The company's CEO was also quoted at the conference: "Currently the cost to manufacture a lithium battery is about $500 (USD) per/ kWh. Tesla recently announced a Super Factory to be built in Nevada, with a promise to get the price of lithium batteries down to $150 USD per kWh by 2020, our current cost estimated for this type of graphene base supercapacitor is about $100 per kWh today and we feel confident we should be able to cut this pricing in half by the end of 2015".

U.S-based Local Motors plans to 3D print vehicles within 12 hours, reinforcing extruded printed material with graphene. The company reports significant progress in its additive manufacturing technology since it unveiled its Strati vehicle (pictured) last September.

The Strati's body was printed in 44 hours, assembled and driven at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago last year. It used ABS plastic reinforced with carbon fibre, and contained 40 printed parts. Local Motors announced plans in January this year to open two microfactories in the US, and plans 50 such factories worldwide over the next five years.

Graphene 3D Lab announced that it has launched commercial sales of its conductive graphene filament for 3D printing. The filament incorporates highly conductive proprietary nanocarbon materials to enhance the properties of PLA, a widely used thermoplastic material for 3D printing. The filament is therefore compatible with most commercially available 3D printers. The conductive filament can be used to print conductive traces (similar to as used in circuit boards) within 3D printed parts for electronics.

The company's conductive filament is to be distributed through the Company's recently launched brand and e-commerce platform, Black Magic 3D, established as the trade name for all current and future Graphene 3D filaments.

Graphene 3D Lab announced signing a contract with U.S based ZeGo Robotics to develop a proof-of-concept 3D printer. The prototype machine will be specifically designed to print with the company's conductive graphene filament and other functionally-enhanced composite materials.

A prototype is meant to be delivered in 3 months, will be owned by Graphene 3D Lab as well as all related intellectual properties. Graphene 3D will also be granted a perpetual, royalty-free license to use any pre-existing ZeGo intellectual property integrated into the machine.

Researchers at the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics at Imperial College London (ICL) cooperated with teams from the University of Warwick, the University of Bath, and the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela to use graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) together with small amounts of a responsive polymer (a polymer that changes upon activation of a 'chemical switch'), to formulate water based ink or pastes for 3D printing applications.

The scientists say that their formulations sport the required flow and physical properties for 3D printing (namely, the ability to flow through miniature nozzles but set immediately after that), for a technique called direct ink writing (DIW), robocasting or direct write assembly (DWA). This technique is based on the continuous deposition of a filament following a computer design.

Graphene 3D Lab announced that it has received and assembled an industrial scale thermoplastic extruder line, to be used in the production of conductive graphene filament. The equipment has a production capacity of up to 10 kg per hour of 3D printer filament and is now operational. The company states that sales of conductive graphene filament are expected to begin around March 2015.

The company relays that it is excited to be making the transition from developing the materials in the research lab to beginning industrial scale production and moving forward to revenue generation. Graphene 3D plans to continue expansion of production capacity in the near future, to accommodate the anticipated growing demand for such materials.

President Obama recently visited Boise State University to take in some of the school's 3D printing technology, as well as the new College of Innovation. Obama went to Boise State’s College of Engineering and the school’s New Product Development Lab, which is a collaboration at the Engineering school and managed by the College of Business and Economics.

Among the various prototypes and 3D printed objects, Obama was exposed to Boise State's work on 3D printing electronics, using flexible, light, and conductive graphene nano-materials, which can be printed in stacks onto small, inexpensive sensors, and resistors.