Bioinspired toughening of soft elastomer via embedded three‐dimensional printing

Abstract

The interest in soft elastomers has been revived because they are needed in the emerging soft robotics and wearable devices. It is imperative to adjust the mechanical properties of elastomeric materials for real-life applications as well as to develop an approach to construct more complex and customized architectures. In this study, an embedded extrusion-based three-dimensional (3D) printing method was used to prepare silicone elastomeric composites.Cellulose nanocrystals were introduced to tailor the rheology of the ink and serve as reinforcements after solidification. The printing paths were carefully designed to write Bouligand structures, which have been widely found in arthropod cuticles and fish scales because of their exceptional damage resistance. Compared with the pure elastomer and randomly distributed composites, the 3D-printed elastomeric composites with bioinspired structures exhibited simultaneously enhanced stiffness, extensibility, and toughness. This strategy may be extended to the realization of other biomimetic designs and paves the way for soft material manufacturing.

Designing for strength: enhancing mechanical performance through structured patterns in 3D printed elastomer

“…The mechanical performance of 3D printed elastomers plays a pivotal role in various applications across a diverse range of soft robotics and wearable devices to biomedical engineering [1][2][3]. In the field of soft robotics, the elastomers employed must possess elastomers that can withstand repetitive deformations and exhibit high tensile strength [4].…”