SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “3d Printing”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2026

Performance assessment of 3D printed multi-material energy absorber for automotive bumper: pedestrian lower extremity protection

Designing an energy absorber for automotive bumpers involves balancing low-speed and high-speed impacts to ensure safety, reduce repair costs, and meet regulatory standards. Here, this study explores a novel design using multi-material 3D printing and structural optimization to fabricate a lightweight and cost-efficient energy absorber. The design effectively dissipates energy in low-speed collisions and minimizes force transmission in high-speed pedestrain impacts, helping to meet both safety and performance requirements. The energy absorber design combines 20% carbon fiber-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF-ABS) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for optimal stiffness and flexibility. It uses 3D-printed lattice structures optimized through finite element simulations to help meet both low-speed and high-speed impact requirements. Full-scale energy absorbers were 3D-printed using optimized CF-ABS/TPU blends and tested under high-speed impact using the Flexible Pedestrian Legform Impactor (Flex-PLI). For fair comparison, a baseline bumper with a traditional triangular lattice structure, also 3D-printed from the same CF-ABS/TPU materials, was similarly tested. Interestingly, both the optimized and baseline 3D-printed energy absorbers showed nearly identical performance, successfully meeting injury limits. Their performances were also benchmarked against an injection-molded energy absorber. While both 3D-printed and injection-molded designs met injury limits, the 3D-printed absorber exhibited a higher tibia bending moment, indicating an opportunity for further optimization. A Techno-Economic Analysis compared the costs of producing energy absorbers using traditional manufacturing and 3D printing. The analysis highlighted that 3D printing offers cost benefits for low to medium production volumes, with the total cost per energy absorber at ∼ $\$$74, compared to traditional methods that become economical beyond 2000 units.

Additive manufacturing↗

DOE OSTI2024

Material property characterization of 3D printed polypropylene wood plastic composites

Abstract Wood flour (WF) at 10 wt.% and 20 wt.% loadings was used as a reinforcing filler to enhance the applicability of polypropylene (PP) for 3D printing. After performing printability tests of PP wood plastic composites (WPCs), the mechanical properties of both injection‐molded and 3D‐printed PP WPC specimens were explored. Test specimens were prepared from 3D printed hexagons for analyzing the mechanical properties. Adding WF to neat PP increased the storage modulus and the glass transition temperature while decreasing the degree of crystallinity and the coefficient of thermal expansion, while enhancing the printability of neat PP. The tensile strength, tensile modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, and flexural modulus of elasticity of injection‐molded neat PP improved by up to 21%, 59%, 30%, and 56%, respectively, with 20 wt.% WF. However, the impact strength of injection‐molded neat PP decreased by 85%, with 20 wt.% WF. After 3D printing, the tensile strength and tensile modulus of elasticity of printed neat PP increased by up to 84% and 60%, respectively, with 20 wt.% WF. The flexural strength and flexural modulus of elasticity of neat printed PP remained unchanged compared to those of PP filled with 20 wt.% WF, while the impact strength decreased by 87%. Highlights WF was used as a reinforcement in polypropylene designed for 3D printing A pilot‐scale, pellet‐fed 3D printer was used to print hollow hexagons, and then test specimens were fabricated from these hexagons for mechanical properties The tensile and flexural properties of 3D printed neat polypropylene improved, while the impact strength decreased after adding 20 wt.% WF to the neat PP.

Hwang, Sungjun↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigation of Carbon-Reinforced Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene 3D-Printed Honeycomb Composites

The expansive utility of polymeric 3D printing technologies and demand for high-performance lightweight structures has prompted the emergence of various carbon-reinforced polymer composite filaments. However, detailed characterization of the processing-microstructure-property relationships of these materials is still required to realize their full potential. In this study, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and carbon reinforced ABS variants, both carbon nanotubes (CNT) and 5 wt.% chopped carbon fiber (CF), are fabricated in a honeycomb geometry and investigated across a range of layer thicknesses and hex sizes. Microscopy of material cross-sections is conducted to evaluate the relationship between print parameters and porosity. Additionally, mechanical properties are evaluated through compression testing, demonstrating the potential of honeycomb ABS, ABS-CNT, and ABS-5wt.% CF polymer composites for novel 3D printed structures.

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)↗

DOE OSTI2026

Design and scale-up of 3D printed bat houses with biomass-derived polymer composites

Biomass (e.g., pine sawdust, especially high–ash content pine sawdust) is commonly disposed of as waste. Combining biomass with polymers to make composite feedstocks for 3D printing has been explored as a method to reduce or repurpose the biomass waste. Although not all biocomposite properties are known, the wood-based polylactic acid (PLA) composite has promising qualities for applications in ecological settings. In this work, pine wood–PLA composite feedstock was used to 3D print supplemental roost structures for endangered tree-roosting bats, which often face a paucity of suitable naturally occurring roosts. This material combination was selected because it is estimated to degrade faster than the synthetic material systems that are used widely in supplemental bat roosting structures to aid in the conservation of tree roosting bats. The layered, rough surface created by the 3D printing process serves as a surface that bats can grip while roosting. Computer-aided design (CAD) models were generated based on natural roost structures, and a full-size bat house was successfully additively manufactured using a pellet-fed large-scale 3D printing system. The 3D printed hexagon exhibited a tensile strength of 22–23 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 3202–3218 MPa in the x-direction. It has been demonstrated that the 3D printed bat house can be installed on a tree in a stable fashion. This successful demonstration of a bat roost manufactured using a bioderived composite should promote its use in other fish and wildlife structures and broader industrial applications such as construction and automobiles.

3D printing↗

NASA NTRS2024

Investigation of Carbon-Reinforced Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene 3D-Printed Honeycomb Composites

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)↗

DOE OSTI2024

Digital Light Process 3D Printing of Magnetically Aligned Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Free–forms

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are anisotropic soft materials capable of large dimensional changes when subjected to a stimulus. The magnitude and directionality of the stimuli-induced thermomechanical response is associated with the alignment of the LCE. Recent reports detail the preparation of LCEs by additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, predominately using direct ink write printing. Another AM technique, digital light process (DLP) 3D printing, has generated significant interest as it affords LCE free-forms with high fidelity and resolution. However, one challenge of printing LCEs using vat polymerization methods such as DLP is enforcing alignment. Here, we document the preparation of aligned, main-chain LCEs via DLP 3D printing using a 100 mT magnetic field. Systematic examination isolates the contribution of magnetic field strength, alignment time, and build layer thickness on the degree of orientation in 3D printed LCEs. Informed by this fundamental understanding, DLP is used to print complex LCE free-forms with through-thickness variation in both spatial orientations. Further, the hierarchical variation in spatial orientation within LCE free-forms is used to produce objects that exhibit mechanical instabilities upon heating. DLP printing of aligned LCEs opens new opportunities to fabricate stimuli-responsive materials in form factors optimized for functional use in soft robotics and energy absorption.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2015

3D Printing Multi-Functionality: Embedded RF Antennas and Components

Significant research and press has recently focused on the fabrication freedom of Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create both conceptual models and final end-use products. This flexibility allows design modifications to be immediately reflected in 3D printed structures, creating new paradigms within the manufacturing process. 3D printed products will inevitably be fabricated locally, with unit-level customization, optimized to unique mission requirements. However, for the technology to be universally adopted, the processes must be enhanced to incorporate additional technologies; such as electronics, actuation, and electromagnetics. Recently, a novel 3D printing platform, Multi3D manufacturing, was funded by the presidential initiative for revitalizing manufacturing in the USA using 3D printing (America Makes - also known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute). The Multi3D system specifically targets 3D printed electronics in arbitrary form; and building upon the potential of this system, this paper describes RF antennas and components fabricated through the integration of material extrusion 3D printing with embedded wire, mesh, and RF elements.

antennas↗

DOE OSTI2024

Flow and Heat Transfer Experimental Study for 3D-Printed Solar Receiving Tubes With Helical Fins at Internal Surface

3D-printing technology was applied to fabricate novel solar thermal collection tubes that have internal heat transfer enhancement fins and external surfaces with high solar absorptivity and low emissivity due to the ability to use different materials in one tube. Helical fins were selected to introduce circumferential flow and thus minimize the circumferential temperature difference of the tube that receives sunlight on one side. The structures of the helical fins were previously optimized from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis with the objective of low entropy production rate by looking for high heat transfer coefficient and relatively lower pressure loss. High-temperature alloy, Inconel-718, was used to 3D print the tubes, which can resist corrosion for the potential application of molten chloride salts as heat transfer fluid. Experimental tests were carried out using water as the heat transfer fluid with the high heat flux provided by a tubular furnace heater. The tested Reynolds number ranges from 3.9 × 10 3 to 6.1 × 10 4 . Heat transfer coefficients of up to 2.8 times that of the smooth tube could be obtained with the expense of increased pressure loss compared to that of the smooth tube. The total system entropy generation can be significantly reduced due to the benefit of heat transfer enhancement that is greater than the expenses of the increased pressure loss. The experimental results of the 3D-printed heat transfer tubes confirmed the CFD-based results of fin optimization. Furthermore, the novel heat transfer tube is recommended for application in concentrating solar power systems.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fabrication of a novel 3D-printed perfusion bioreactor for complex cell culture models

We introduce a novel fabrication method for developing a 3D-printed perfusion bioreactor (3D-PBR) to facilitate the in situ growth and differentiation of human bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) while enabling coculture with vascular cells. To recapitulate human physiology, in vitro platforms must incorporate several key features of their native target organ. This often entails a supportive 3D architecture for growing and differentiating multiple human cell types in situ under perfusion. Other essential characteristics include reproducibility, ease of customization, and biocompatibility. Our 3D-PBR combines these features and was fabricated using a biocompatible resin-based polymer, which was 3D-printed, followed by the addition of a permeable membrane to create a coculture microenvironment. MSCs were encapsulated in a collagen-fibrin gel alongside human endothelium within the 3D-PBR. The physical cues that our 3D-PBR provided facilitated the differentiation of MSCs into specific lineages, such as adipocytes and osteoblasts. Immunohistochemistry images demonstrated that cells grown in the 3D-PBR exhibited more physiologically relevant BM perivascular niche markers compared to static culture models. Our method utilizes emerging 3D printing techniques and alternative materials, departing from traditional PDMS-based soft lithography. These advancements in fabrication further enhance in vitro platforms for diverse cell culture models and vascular permeability assays.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Biochar–polymer composites for 3D printing: a review

Biochar, a bio-based co-product of biofuel production via thermochemical conversion, holds potential as a filler for polymer composites to reduce costs, improve thermomechanical properties, and aid in environmental remediation. 3D-printed biochar composites have received growing interest over the past few years but have experienced difficulties such as poor layer adhesion and nozzle clogging. Currently, no literature review examines 3D-printed biochar composites and related biochar properties in-depth. This work summarizes and discusses recent studies on 3D-printed polymer and biochar composites and examines their mechanical, thermal, and additional properties that result from each study. Technical challenges in printability, such as nozzle clogging from particle size and biochar aggregation, are also discussed. Furthermore, this work discusses the variability of biochar properties resulting from the pyrolysis conditions and feedstock choice in relation to potential 3D printing outcomes. In particular, several studies reported that high lignin feedstocks could be candidates for 3D printing. The post-processing approaches of the biochar via physical and chemical methods are also introduced. Ball milling appears to hold the most promise for physical treatments due to its tunability of particle size, surface area, and functional groups, while chemical treatments with acids or alkalis are used to tailor biochar porosity and wettability. Overall, it was determined that future research needs to be done relating biochar production and post-processing methods to resulting 3D printing parameters as the number of studies is limited.

Day, Rachel [Auburn University, Auburn, AL]↗

NASA NTRS2014

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has a long term strategy to fabricate components and equipment on-demand for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. To support this strategy, NASA and Made in Space, Inc. are developing the 3D Printing In Zero-G payload as a Technology Demonstration for the International Space Station. The 3D Printing In Zero-G experiment will be the first machine to perform 3D printing in space. The greater the distance from Earth and the longer the mission duration, the more difficult resupply becomes; this requires a change from the current spares, maintenance, repair, and hardware design model that has been used on the International Space Station up until now. Given the extension of the ISS Program, which will inevitably result in replacement parts being required, the ISS is an ideal platform to begin changing the current model for resupply and repair to one that is more suitable for all exploration missions. 3D Printing, more formally known as Additive Manufacturing, is the method of building parts/ objects/tools layer-by-layer. The 3D Print experiment will use extrusion-based additive manufacturing, which involves building an object out of plastic deposited by a wire-feed via an extruder head. Parts can be printed from data files loaded on the device at launch, as well as additional files uplinked to the device while on-orbit. The plastic extrusion additive manufacturing process is a low-energy, low-mass solution to many common needs on board the ISS. The 3D Print payload will serve as the ideal first step to proving that process in space. It is unreasonable to expect NASA to launch large blocks of material from which parts or tools can be traditionally machined, and even more unreasonable to fly up specialized manufacturing hardware to perform the entire range of function traditionally machining requires. The technology to produce parts on demand, in space, offers unique design options that are not possible through traditional manufacturing methods while offering cost-effective, high-precision, low-unit on-demand manufacturing. Thus, Additive Manufacturing capabilities are the foundation of an advanced manufacturing in space roadmap.

Johnston, Mallory M.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Toward Multiscale, Multimaterial 3D Printing

Biological materials and organisms possess the fundamental ability to self-organize, through which different components are assembled from the molecular level up to hierarchical structures with superior mechanical properties and multifunctionalities. These complex composites inspire material scientists to design new engineered materials by integrating multiple ingredients and structures over a wide range. Additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has advantages with respect to fabricating multiscale and multi-material structures. The need for multifunctional materials is driving 3D printing techniques toward arbitrary 3D architectures with the next level of complexity. In this paper, the aim is to highlight key features of those 3D printing techniques that can produce either multiscale or multimaterial structures, including innovations in printing methods, materials processing approaches, and hardware improvements. Several issues and challenges related to current methods are discussed. Ultimately, the authors also provide their perspective on how to realize the combination of multiscale and multimaterial capabilities in 3D printing processes and future directions based on emerging research.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

Influence of build direction on the fracture mechanism of 3D printed octet lattices

Here, we investigate the effects of 3D printing build directions on the fracture properties of octet lattice metamaterials made of polylactic acid (PLA) and how these effects vary with the relative density of the lattices. Single-edge notch bend samples are 3D printed in two orthogonal build directions at various relative densities. Our results show that the work of fracture for octet lattices with build directions parallel to the crack plane is significantly higher than those with build directions perpendicular to the crack plane. We also observed that the ratio of specific work of fracture between the two build directions remains nearly constant across different relative densities. In contrast, the ratio of peak load between the two build directions decreases as relative density increases. Furthermore, the build direction dictates the fracture mechanism. While the perpendicular build direction predominantly results in a brittle (mode I) fracture, the parallel build direction leads to a complex, delamination-dominated (mode II type) fracture. This phenomenon is largely governed by the weak interfaces formed between the printed layers and their interaction with the lattice geometry. These results reveal that the build direction governs the fracture mechanism and work of fracture of these lattice metamaterials and is therefore an important design consideration.

3D printed PLA↗

DOE OSTI2025

Hierarchically ordered porous transition metal compounds from one-pot type 3D printing approaches

Solution-based soft matter self-assembly (SA) promises unique material structures and properties from approaches including additive manufacturing/three-dimensional (3D) printing. The 3D printing of periodically ordered porous functional inorganic materials through SA unfolding during printing remains a major challenge, however, due to the often vastly different ordering kinetics of separate processes at different length scales. Here, we report a “one-pot” direct ink writing process to produce hierarchically porous transition metal nitrides and precursor oxides from block copolymer (BCP) SA. Heat treatment protocols identified in various environments enable mesostructure retention in the final crystalline materials with periodic lattices on three distinct length scales. Moreover, embedded printing enables the first BCP directed mesoporous non-self-supporting helical oxides and nitrides. Resulting nitrides are superconducting, with record nanoconfinement-induced upper critical fields correlated with BCP molar mass and record surface areas for compound superconductors. Results suggest scalable porous functional inorganic material formation approaches for applications including catalysis, sensing, and microelectronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2025

3D printing of packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composites: Environmental sustainability analysis

In this study, a comprehensive Life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted on molded packaging inserts from expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, molded packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite, and 3D-printed packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite under the low mix / high volume (LMHV) scenario and molded and machined packaging inserts from EPS foam, molded and machined packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite, and 3D-printed packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite under the high mix / low volume (HMLV) scenario. Six environmental impact categories—climate change, acidification, eutrophication, fossil resource scarcity, land use, and water consumption—are analyzed to evaluate the environmental trade-offs associated with each type of packaging inserts. Under the LMHV scenario, molded packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite emerge as the best option due to their lower impact on climate change, acidification and water consumption compared to other types of packaging inserts. Conversely, molded packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite face challenges in land use and eutrophication, primarily due to raw material production. LCA also reveals that 3D-printed packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite are the most environmentally favorable option under the HMLV scenario, due to significantly lower contributions to climate change, eutrophication, and water consumption compared to other types of packaging inserts. Conversely, 3D-printed packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite face challenges in acidification and land use, primarily due to raw material production. As part of the LCA, sensitivity analyses show that sourcing energy from 100% renewable sources substantially lowers climate change impacts across all packaging types, while varying transportation distances results in only minor changes, indicating the dominant role of upstream material and manufacturing processes. Additional sensitivity analysis is conducted under the HMLV scenario to assess the impact of material removal during machining on the environment. The amount of material removal is varied from 10 to 70% for the sensitivity analysis and it highlights that the amount of material removed during machining has no significant impact on climate change for packaging inserts from EPS foam. However, molded and machined packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite show an increasing trend in climate change with higher amount of material removal, while 3D-printed packaging inserts from biomass-fungi composite exhibit a decreasing trend, driven by reduced raw material usage and energy consumption.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Self-Supported Branched Poly(ethylenimine) Monoliths from Inverse Template 3D Printing for Direct Air Capture

3D-printed inverse templates are combined with ice templating to develop self-supported branched poly(ethylenimine) monoliths with regular channels of varying channel density and ordered macropores. A maximum uptake of 0.96 mmol of CO 2 /g of monolith from ambient air containing 45.5% RH is achieved from dynamic breakthrough experiments, which is a 31% increase compared to the CO 2 uptake from adsorption under dry conditions for the same duration. The breakthrough experiments show characteristics of internal mass-transfer limitations. The cyclic dynamic breakthrough experiments indicate stable operation without significant loss in CO 2 uptake across eight cycles. Moreover, the self-supported monolith shows minimal loss in adsorption capacity (7.7%) upon exposure to air containing 21% oxygen at 110 °C, in comparison to a conventional sorbent consisting of poly(ethylenimine) impregnated on Al 2 O 3 (18.9%). The monoliths exhibit good mechanical stability, contributed by elastic deformation, corresponding to up to 74% strain and lower pressure drop compared to many existing monoliths in the literature.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2024

3D printed optimized electrodes for electrochemical flow reactors

Recent advances in 3D printing have enabled the manufacture of porous electrodes which cannot be machined using traditional methods. With micron-scale precision, the pore structure of an electrode can now be designed for optimal energy efficiency, and a 3D printed electrode is not limited to a single uniform porosity. As these electrodes scale in size, however, the total number of possible pore designs can be intractable; choosing an appropriate pore distribution manually can be a complex task. To address this challenge, we adopt an inverse design approach. Using physics-based models, the electrode structure is optimized to minimize power losses in a flow reactor. The computer-generated structure is then printed and benchmarked against homogeneous porosity electrodes. We show how an optimized electrode decreases the power requirements by 16% compared to the best-case homogeneous porosity. Future work could apply this approach to flow batteries, electrolyzers, and fuel cells to accelerate their design and implementation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

NASA NTRS2013

3D Printing in Zero-G ISS Technology Demonstration

Werkheiser, Niki↗