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Direct Ink Writing of Cement Structures Modified with Nanoscale Additive
Author(s) -
Sajadi Seyed Mohammad,
Boul Peter J.,
Thaemlitz Carl,
Meiyazhagan Ashok Kumar,
Puthirath Anand B.,
Tiwary Chandra Sekhar,
Rahman Muhammad M.,
Ajayan Pulickel M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced engineering materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.938
H-Index - 114
eISSN - 1527-2648
pISSN - 1438-1656
DOI - 10.1002/adem.201801380
Subject(s) - materials science , 3d printing , toughness , brittleness , inkwell , composite material , cementitious , extrusion , cement , fabrication , nanoscopic scale , rheology , slurry , stiffness , fracture toughness , nanotechnology , alternative medicine , medicine , pathology
Synthetic structures built with cement benefit from high compressive strength, but their brittleness limits their fracture toughness under conditions where repeated, unnegotiable strains are imparted. This could be somewhat alleviated, if complex structures with tunable geometries is created, for example, via direct ink writing (DIW)‐based 3D printing. However, the nature of the slurries used in the DIW printing of cement must be modified with proper rheology to be effectively and programmatically printed with distinct mechanical properties intended for specific applications. Here, the authors have developed a nano‐clay modified cement‐based direct ink that enables high‐resolution 3D printing of complex architected structures of tunable geometries. The developed ink has a significant shear thinning and rapid gel strength properties which facilitate extrusion from a micro‐nozzle (≈400 μm) under ambient conditions conserving the filamentary shape with holding the load of the subsequent printed layer above. A series of architected structures have revealed how nanoscale additive, fabrication process, and architecture of the structures can influence both the stiffness and toughness in the cementitious materials. Understanding these construction principles based on architectures, materials, and processing can change the brittle cement‐based structure to a tough one for structural and functional applications.