Autonomous Production of Polymer Composites for Electronic Devices
Board Location: #126
Discipline: Physics
Session: 2
Myrialisses Ortiz-Rodriguez - University of Puerto Rico at Humacao
Co-Author(s): Robert Rosario, José Sotero, Idalia Ramos, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao
The goal of this project is to develop an autonomous system for the preparation of polymer composites. Using an autonomous system for this purpose offers several advantages: enhanced precision, increased efficiency, scalability, and improved safety by minimizing direct human interaction with hazardous materials. It also provides a cost-effective production method. Autonomous systems can be easily adjusted to change deposition parameters, allowing the customization of composites to meet specific application requirements. Additionally, they can integrate with machine learning and artificial intelligence for real-time monitoring and optimization, analyzing data to improve the deposition process and predict material behavior.
In this project, we fabricated a deposition system by modifying a 3D printer. A syringe pump, constructed using a stepper motor, replaced the printer’s extruder. This syringe pump is controlled using an Arduino, while the 3D printer’s XYZ motion and bed temperature is controlled using G-code. A graphical user interface, written in Python, allows users to set parameters such as syringe volume, syringe diameter, and pumping rate. By selecting the syringe direction, the system can infuse the syringe with the polymer solution or deposit it onto the printer bed.
Our results demonstrate that the autonomous system effectively infuses a polymeric solution into the syringe and deposits it onto the printer bed. These findings highlight the potential of using an autonomous system for the efficient and precise preparation of polymer composites, paving the way for further refinements and applications in various fields.
Future efforts include enhancing and testing the system to deposit different polymer compositions and more complex structures. In collaboration with other student researchers in our group, we will incorporate additional capabilities such as the preparation of metallic contacts for electrical characterization and the integration of artificial intelligence techniques to optimize the preparation of composites and their properties.
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Li, Jinhao, et al. “3D-printed PEDOT:PSS for Soft Robotics.” Nature Reviews Materials, vol. 8, no. 9, Aug. 2023, pp. 604–22, doi:10.1038/s41578-023-00587-5.
Stach, Eric, et al. “Autonomous experimentation systems for materials development: A community perspective.” Matter, vol. 4, no. 9, July 2021, pp. 2702–26, doi:10.1016/j.matt.2021.06.036.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This work was funded by NSF under grant: DMR-PREM-2122102 and the INCLUDES-REM Supplement.
Faculty Advisor: Idalia Ramos, idalia.ramos@upr.edu
Role: In this research, I designed and constructed the syringe pump and programmed the Arduino. The integration of the system and programming was done in collaboration with Robert Rosario and José Sotero.