(214c) 3D Printed Nanocellulosic Materials and Their Composite

Cellulose nanocrystals and fibers, which can be extracted from the cell wall of trees, offer a sustainable and greener alternative for petroleum products. Studies have shown nanocellulosic polymer composite materials can exhibit light weight and high barrier properties. These properties have been exploited to form barriers films, reinforcing films, platforms for printable electronics, and many other cellulosic products. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to find compatible nanocellulose-curable resins composite, and design a facile and scalable approach for fabricating composite materials into functional structures. In this work, we introduced cellulose nanocrystals into an acrylate based photo-curable resin, then projection stereolithography was utilized to 3D print nanocellulose composite structures. A custom built direct ink write 3D printer was also utilized to 3D print cellulose nanocrystals and nanofiber, which resulted in pure cellulosic 3D aerogels after freeze dry processing. The mechanical properties of the resultant 3D printed structures were characterized. This work established the printing platform for generating nanocellulosic 3D structure and aerogel, which enabled future possibility for incorporating targeted functionalities into these structures.