Lithographic crystallinity regulation in additive fabrication of thermoplastics (CRAFT)

For semicrystalline polyolefin thermoplastics, the balance between interconnected ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous regions is paramount to their performance and processability. However, contemporary manufacturing strategies, from injection molding to three-dimensional (3D) printing, result in monolithic objects, unable to spatially encode crystallinity. We develop a light-based approach for fabricating mechanically robust polyolefin thermoplastics with microscopic control over crystallinity in 3D space. Light dosage governs polymer stereochemistry giving access to a continuum of materials, from strong rigid plastics, such as high-density polyethylene, to more extensible materials akin to…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: DMR-2045336, DGE-2137420
• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: 89303321CEM000080, DE-SC0023457, DE-NA-0003525, LLNL-JRNL-2009178
• WF
  Welch Foundation

  Award: F-2007