Are we a step closer to 3D printed carbon nanotube composites? - Materials Today
Electrically conductive CNT-composites could be produced using standard commercial 3D printers, according to Italian researchers.
In the past five years, additive manufacturing (AM) has gone from a tool used exclusively in industry for rapid prototyping, to a new, widepsread approach to developing high-value products. The automotive, aerospace and architecture sectors are all also exploring its potential for use in printing composite materials. But a growing number of research groups, including one at the Polytechnic University of Turin, are interested in using it to produce polymer nanocomposites. In a paper published in a recent issue of Polymer [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.12.051], this team, led by Prof Marco Sangermano, have shown that it may be possible to tap into the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), in order to make conductive composites on a standard commercial printer.
