Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications

Kellen Mitchell; Aidan Shackleford; Sabinus Arthur; Chen Zhang; Evan Lim; Kurt Juarez; Erick Bandala; Dale K. Hensley; Jihua Chen; Ji Su; Haoran Cui; Bankole O. Osho; Xiaoliang Wang; Julian Highmoore; Ying Yang; Yan Wang; Pengbo Chu; Jun Zhang; Guangrui Chai; Yifei Jin

doi:10.1021/acsami.5c16456

Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications

Kellen Mitchell
, Aidan Shackleford
, Sabinus Arthur
, Chen Zhang
, Evan Lim
, Kurt Juarez
, Erick Bandala
, Dale K. Hensley
, Jihua Chen
, Ji Su
, Haoran Cui
, Bankole O. Osho
, Xiaoliang Wang
, Julian Highmoore
, Ying Yang
, Yan Wang
, Pengbo Chu
, Jun Zhang
, Guangrui Chai
, Yifei Jin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Fused filament fabrication has been applied to manufacture complex thermoplastic structures. However, due to the poor mechanical strength, the printed structures are typically used for prototyping purposes rather than end-use functional parts. Inspired by embedded ink writing, which produces three-dimensional architectures with enhanced mechanical properties, a molten embedded writing (MEW) method is developed in this work to print thermoplastic polymer filaments within a high-temperature support bath. The support bath is composed of organomodified montmorillonite particles and high-smoking-point sunflower oil, which offers a desired thermal environment to promote interfilament fusion, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength of as-printed structures. To demonstrate the broad and reliable application of MEW, three representative end-use parts, including orbital implants from polycaprolactone, spigots from polylactic acid for a lab-scale hydrocyclone, and sensors from thermal polyurethane, are successfully printed for repairing an orbital bone fracture, enhancing mineral particle separation, and detecting strain and force for a robotic hand, respectively.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	68417-68430
Number of pages	14
Journal	ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume	17
Issue number	50
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c16456
State	Published - Dec 17 2025

Funding

Y.J. and P.C. acknowledge the financial support of the Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium (80NSSC20M0043). G.C. acknowledges the support of the Liaoning Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2022-YGJC-27). The SEM research was conducted as part of a user project at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Y.J. and P.C. acknowledge the financial support of the Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium (80NSSC20M0043). G.C. acknowledges the support of the Liaoning Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2022-YGJC-27). The SEM research was conducted as part of a user project at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium provides the financial support (80NSSC20M0043) to this work. The Liaoning Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China provides the financial support (2022-YGJC-27) to cell-related studies. The Nevada NASA Space Grant Consortium provides the financial support (80NSSC20M0043) to this work. The Liaoning Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China provides the financial support (2022-YGJC-27) to cell-related studies.

Keywords

end-use products
engineering applications
high-temperature support bath
molten embedded writing
thermoplastic printing

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10.1021/acsami.5c16456

Cite this

Mitchell, K., Shackleford, A., Arthur, S., Zhang, C., Lim, E., Juarez, K., Bandala, E., Hensley, D. K., Chen, J., Su, J., Cui, H., Osho, B. O., Wang, X., Highmoore, J., Yang, Y., Wang, Y., Chu, P., Zhang, J., Chai, G., & Jin, Y. (2025). Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 17(50), 68417-68430. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c16456

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title = "Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications",

abstract = "Fused filament fabrication has been applied to manufacture complex thermoplastic structures. However, due to the poor mechanical strength, the printed structures are typically used for prototyping purposes rather than end-use functional parts. Inspired by embedded ink writing, which produces three-dimensional architectures with enhanced mechanical properties, a molten embedded writing (MEW) method is developed in this work to print thermoplastic polymer filaments within a high-temperature support bath. The support bath is composed of organomodified montmorillonite particles and high-smoking-point sunflower oil, which offers a desired thermal environment to promote interfilament fusion, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength of as-printed structures. To demonstrate the broad and reliable application of MEW, three representative end-use parts, including orbital implants from polycaprolactone, spigots from polylactic acid for a lab-scale hydrocyclone, and sensors from thermal polyurethane, are successfully printed for repairing an orbital bone fracture, enhancing mineral particle separation, and detecting strain and force for a robotic hand, respectively.",

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author = "Kellen Mitchell and Aidan Shackleford and Sabinus Arthur and Chen Zhang and Evan Lim and Kurt Juarez and Erick Bandala and Hensley, \{Dale K.\} and Jihua Chen and Ji Su and Haoran Cui and Osho, \{Bankole O.\} and Xiaoliang Wang and Julian Highmoore and Ying Yang and Yan Wang and Pengbo Chu and Jun Zhang and Guangrui Chai and Yifei Jin",

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doi = "10.1021/acsami.5c16456",

language = "English",

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Mitchell, K, Shackleford, A, Arthur, S, Zhang, C, Lim, E, Juarez, K, Bandala, E, Hensley, DK, Chen, J, Su, J, Cui, H, Osho, BO, Wang, X, Highmoore, J, Yang, Y, Wang, Y, Chu, P, Zhang, J, Chai, G & Jin, Y 2025, 'Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications', ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, vol. 17, no. 50, pp. 68417-68430. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.5c16456

TY - JOUR

T1 - Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications

AU - Mitchell, Kellen

AU - Shackleford, Aidan

AU - Arthur, Sabinus

AU - Zhang, Chen

AU - Lim, Evan

AU - Juarez, Kurt

AU - Bandala, Erick

AU - Hensley, Dale K.

AU - Chen, Jihua

AU - Su, Ji

AU - Cui, Haoran

AU - Osho, Bankole O.

AU - Wang, Xiaoliang

AU - Highmoore, Julian

AU - Yang, Ying

AU - Wang, Yan

AU - Chu, Pengbo

AU - Zhang, Jun

AU - Chai, Guangrui

AU - Jin, Yifei

PY - 2025/12/17

Y1 - 2025/12/17

N2 - Fused filament fabrication has been applied to manufacture complex thermoplastic structures. However, due to the poor mechanical strength, the printed structures are typically used for prototyping purposes rather than end-use functional parts. Inspired by embedded ink writing, which produces three-dimensional architectures with enhanced mechanical properties, a molten embedded writing (MEW) method is developed in this work to print thermoplastic polymer filaments within a high-temperature support bath. The support bath is composed of organomodified montmorillonite particles and high-smoking-point sunflower oil, which offers a desired thermal environment to promote interfilament fusion, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength of as-printed structures. To demonstrate the broad and reliable application of MEW, three representative end-use parts, including orbital implants from polycaprolactone, spigots from polylactic acid for a lab-scale hydrocyclone, and sensors from thermal polyurethane, are successfully printed for repairing an orbital bone fracture, enhancing mineral particle separation, and detecting strain and force for a robotic hand, respectively.

AB - Fused filament fabrication has been applied to manufacture complex thermoplastic structures. However, due to the poor mechanical strength, the printed structures are typically used for prototyping purposes rather than end-use functional parts. Inspired by embedded ink writing, which produces three-dimensional architectures with enhanced mechanical properties, a molten embedded writing (MEW) method is developed in this work to print thermoplastic polymer filaments within a high-temperature support bath. The support bath is composed of organomodified montmorillonite particles and high-smoking-point sunflower oil, which offers a desired thermal environment to promote interfilament fusion, thereby enhancing the mechanical strength of as-printed structures. To demonstrate the broad and reliable application of MEW, three representative end-use parts, including orbital implants from polycaprolactone, spigots from polylactic acid for a lab-scale hydrocyclone, and sensors from thermal polyurethane, are successfully printed for repairing an orbital bone fracture, enhancing mineral particle separation, and detecting strain and force for a robotic hand, respectively.

KW - end-use products

KW - engineering applications

KW - high-temperature support bath

KW - molten embedded writing

KW - thermoplastic printing

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025097534

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SN - 1944-8244

VL - 17

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EP - 68430

JO - ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

JF - ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

IS - 50

ER -

Molten Embedded Writing of End-Use Thermoplastics for Engineering Applications

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