Acoustic 3D Printing of High Melting Point Polymers
Affiliation Type:
Academia
Keywords:
Acoustic 3D printing, High melting point polymers, PLA and PCL, Glycerol coupling medium, Microporosity
Abstract:
Acoustic 3D printing of low melting point (Tm) polymers like polycaprolactone (PCL, 60 °C) has been shown previously. The printing method allows control of the microporosity of the objects, which is beneficial for biomedical scaffolds. Water was used as a coupling medium, limiting the technique to polymers melting below 100 °C, excluding most plastics. Here, we expand acoustic printing to higher-Tm thermoplastics like polylactic acid (PLA, ~150 °C) using glycerol—a biocompatible coupling fluid with a boiling point of 290 °C. Mixtures of PLA powder in glycerol were heated to reduce viscosity, facilitating uniform dispersion. PLA discs were acoustically printed and showed higher porosity and incomplete melting compared to PCL, indicated visually by a rougher surface and physically by increased flimsiness. Despite these challenges, successful printing of PLA extends acoustic 3D printing beyond niche polymers, showing its potential competitiveness with conventional methods.
