3d Printing Using Polyampholyte Hydrogel With Reversible Behavior

A polyampholyte (PA) hydrogel is a highly biocompatible hydrogel consisting of physical ionic bonds of anionic and cationic monomers. It has high strength without other chemical crosslinking agents. Physical ionic bonds of PA can be easily broken with NaCl solution; therefore, PA is easy to process because the viscosity of PA can be adjusted simply by changing the concentration of NaCl. In this study, PA hydrogel was applied to a 3D printer of DIW (direct ink write) additive manufacturing. Hydrogel 3D printing equipment was manufactured by mounting a pressure tank and heater. In order to make PA ink for 3D printing, PA was made in powder form first and then dissolved in NaCl solution to adjust to a suitable concentration in consideration of the processing temperature, mechanical properties and viscosity. The printing conditions were optimized to achieve stable operation of 3D printing. The surface of the printed sample was observed through scanning electron microscopy imaging to confirm that the stacked structure was well adhered. Finally, the characteristics of several structures printed using PA ink were investigated with tensile experiments. (c) 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.