Nanotechnology Australia CU – Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed a way to conduct a 3D print strong, high-conducting solid polymer electrolytes to form custom shapes.
The study conducted by the School of Chemical Engineering led by Professor Cyrille Boyer, together with Dr Nathaniel Corrigan and Kenny Lee stated that the 3D printing process which includes this can be beneficial in future medical products where small, intricately designed energy storage offers numerous advantages.
Solid-state electrolytes are a crucial part of solid-state batteries, which generally have poor performance as a result low ionic conductivities and poor mechanical features. The study has indicated a remedy for this issue is with 3D printed solid polymer electrolyte that leads to high conductivity and robust strength.
The solid-state electrolytes that can possibly be used as a structure of a device, which could possibly lead to new designs particularly for medical products.
Kenny Lee said “Nobody has 3D printed solid polymer electrolytes before. Traditionally they have been made using a mould, but previous processes did not offer the ability to control the strength of the material, or to form it into complex shapes.”
In recent years the potential of 3D printing in medicine has gained the interest of scientists and medical professional with 3D printing for radiologists who are looking into the possibility of replicas for organs in the body prior to proceeding with treatment. The possibility of 3D printing for medical drugs particularly when there is a shortage has also been explored.
Kenny Lee also said “With existing solid-state electrolytes when you increase the mechanical strength of the material, you sacrifice a lot of the conductivity. If you want higher conductivity the material is much less robust. What we have achieved is a simultaneous combination of both, which can be 3D printed into sophisticated geometries.
