Machine Design
  • Resources
  • Members
  • Directory
  • Webinars
  • WISE
  • CAD Models
  • Advertise
    • Search
  • 3D Printing & CAD
  • AUTOMATION & IIOT
  • Robotics
  • Motion Systems
  • Materials
  • Video
  • Data Sheets
  • Topics
    Industry Markets3D Printing & CADAutomation & IIoTFastening & JoiningMaterialsMechanical & Motion Systems Medical DesignRobotics
    Resources
    Machine Design ResourcesWISE (Workers in Science & Engineering)Company DirectorySearch Data SheetsContributeDigital Edition ArchivesCSIA Exchange
    Members
    ContentBenefitsSubscribe
    Advertise
    https://www.facebook.com/MachineDesignMagazine/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/10998894
    https://twitter.com/MachineDesign
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKEiQ9dob20rIqTA7ONfJg
    1. Interpenetrating matrices make this hydrogel tough; it doesn't snap, even when it is stretched to 5 times its original length.
    1. Materials

    Hydrogel Advances 3D Printing of Cartilaginous Parts

    July 15, 2015
    A team of professors from MIT, Columbia, and Duke developed a tough new hydrogel that will take 3D printing of intricate, load-bearing body parts to the next level.
    Leah Scully

    A team of professors from MIT, Columbia, and Duke developed a tough new hydrogel that will take 3D printing of intricate, load-bearing body parts to the next level.

    An interpenetrating network of crosslinked polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium alginate yields a hydrogel with a high fracture energy that can be stretched to five times its original length without breaking. Structures can also be compressed by 99% and return to their original shape. The hybrid hydrogel is especially different from competing hydrogels because toxic chemicals are not needed for its synthesis, so it can be seeded safely with living cells during printing.

    Machinedesign Com Sites Machinedesign com Files Uploads 2015 04 0815 Mit Complex Hydro 2
    2. Made with both covalently and ionically crosslinked materials, the resulting hydrogel is both extremely resilient and tough.

    Ionic crosslinking of sodium alginate with Ca2+ ions dissipates mechanical loads, as proven in previous hydrogel experiments. Dissipating energy, or converting mechanical energy into heat, is important so that mechanical energy will not break crosslinks and propagate cracks through the material. Crosslinking with PEG chains is critical because they increase the hydrogel’s stretchability, as the long covalent crosslinks allow the material to be pulled.

    Alone, these materials are limited. PEG hydrogels have low fracture energy and, therefore, can’t be stretched too far. Sodium alginate bolsters the PEG with Ca2+ crosslinks to dissipate loads, increasing the material’s fracture energy. Meanwhile, sodium-alginate hydrogels with Ca2+ crosslinks alone can’t be stretched and don’t exhibit resiliency.

    The team tested several molecular weights of the PEG, each with and without crosslinked alginate. Through experiments, the scientists were able to determine the prime PEG molecular weight (length) and Ca2+ concentration for the toughest, most resilient result. They also added a “nanoclay” in different quantities between network spaces, in order to vary the material’s viscosity for feeding through a 3D printer.

    The hydrogel is expected to find homes in many biomedical applications, as well as robotics. The scientists hope to improve the resolution of the 3D printers to enhance the qualities of the interdependent matrix and produce highly accurate structures. 

    Continue Reading

    Markforged Offers its FX10 Industrial 3D Printer for Enhanced Factory Operations

    Missouri S&T Invests in Advanced Manufacturing with a New Metal 3D Printer

    Sponsored Recommendations

    Smart Factory Solutions that Connect and Protect from Amphenol RF

    Nov. 28, 2023

    Stay Connected and In Control of Your Future Factories with Littelfuse

    Nov. 28, 2023

    Turn to NKK Switches for the Widest Range of Industrial-Savvy Electromechanical Switches

    Nov. 28, 2023

    Unlocking Operational Flexibility in Manufacturing with Industria IoT

    Nov. 28, 2023

    Voice your opinion!

    To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!

    I already have an account

    New

    5 For Friday: Salary Survey Optimism; A New (and Important) Acronym; and Ways to Unleash the Potential of Design

    Formlabs Introduces Fuse Blast for Automated SLS Post-Processing

    Universal Robots Unveils UR30: Relief for Heavy Lifting

    Most Read

    How Much Should a Bolted Joint be Tightened?

    Engineering Potential: What Determines Success?

    AI: Unleashing the Power in Manufacturing

    Sponsored

    Connectivity for the Modern Needs of Industrial Robot and Cobots Designers

    Reliable and Accurate Sensing for Demanding Applications

    Industrial Internet Of Things

    Machine Design
    https://www.facebook.com/MachineDesignMagazine/
    https://www.linkedin.com/company/10998894
    https://twitter.com/MachineDesign
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXKEiQ9dob20rIqTA7ONfJg
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Do Not Sell or Share
    • Privacy & Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Service
    © 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Endeavor Business Media Logo