Additive manufacture of hierarchically porous materials with high resolution
In one embodiment, an ink includes a polymer precursor, a copolymer, a catalyst, and a solvent. In another embodiment, a product includes a three-dimensional printed structure having ligaments, where an average diameter of the ligaments is in a range of about 10 microns to about 500 microns.
1. An ink, comprising:
a polymer precursor, wherein the polymer precursor is a formaldehyde resin;
a copolymer, wherein a ratio by weight of the polymer precursor to the copolymer is in a range from about 1:1 to about 1:11;
a catalyst; and
a solvent,
wherein the ink is physically characterized as being extrudable into self-supporting ligaments.
2. The ink as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a precursor of a ceramic component.
3. The ink as recited in claim 2 , comprising an additional component, wherein the additional component is selected from the group consisting of: silicon oxide, titanium oxide, and nickel oxide.
4. The ink as recited in claim 2 , wherein the precursor of the ceramic component is tetraethoxyl silane (TEOS).
5. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the formaldehyde resin is selected from the group consisting of: phenol formaldehyde resin, urea formaldehyde resin, resorcinol formaldehyde, and melamine formaldehyde resin.
6. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the copolymer is at least one copolymer selected from the group consisting of: a triblock copolymer and a non-block copolymer.
7. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is an acid catalyst.
8. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a base catalyst.
9. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the catalyst is in a range of about 1 weight % to about 2 weight % of a total weight of the ink.
10. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polymer precursor is different than the copolymer.
11. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ink is physically characterized as being formable into a gel when the ink is immersed in a second solvent.
12. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ink is substantially free of particles.
13. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ink is physically characterized as being formable into a gel having a bicontinuous structure including a continuous water-rich phase and a resol-rich phase upon the ink being immersed in a second solvent.
14. The ink as recited in claim 2 , wherein a ratio of the ceramic component to the polymer precursor is about 1:1.
15. The ink as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent includes water.
16. The ink as recited in claim 15 , wherein the solvent includes an organic co-solvent.
17. The ink as recited in claim 16 , wherein the organic co-solvent is selected from the group consisting of: ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol.
18. A method for forming a three dimensional structure using the ink as recited in claim 1 , the method comprising:
printing a three-dimensional structure using the ink;
immersing the printed three-dimensional structure in a second solvent for forming a gel; and
drying the printed three-dimensional structure.