Description
TitleAdditive manufacturing of multi-functional soft active devices
Date Created2020
Other Date2020-01 (degree)
Extent1 online resource (xxi, 178 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionUnique functions of living organisms in nature inspire a broad spectrum of engineering systems. Since biological living systems are often composed of multiple soft active materials with micro-scale three-dimensional (3D) structures, fundamental understanding on soft active materials and development of micro 3D manufacturing techniques are essential for effective implementations of their characteristics and functionalities. Hydrogels are soft polymeric materials that undergo volumetric changes upon solvent absorption. Some hydrogels exhibit such changes in response to external environmental conditions, such as temperature, pH, light, magnetic field, electric field, and chemical triggers, which are referred to as stimuli-responsive hydrogels. They have played an important role in a variety of applications, such as soft robotics, soft electronics, and biomedical engineering. Despite the growing attention to stimuli-responsive hydrogels and their diverse applications, manufacturing techniques for stimuli-responsive hydrogels have been limited to simple two-dimensional (2D) fabrication methods which restrict full utilization of their unique material behavior.
This dissertation focuses on the development and application of a high-resolution multi-material 3D digital fabrication technology, multi-material projection micro-stereolithography (MM-PuSL), in order to engineer stimuli-responsive hydrogels into 3D multi-functional soft active devices. Specifically, it consists of development of MM-PuSL, studies of fundamental physics for various stimuli-responsive hydrogels, including electroactive hydrogels, thermo-responsive hydrogels, and photo-active hydrogels, micro 3D printing of stimuli-responsive hydrogels, and development of multi-functional soft active devices, such as soft robots actuated by temperature changes or electric fields, and light-driven camouflage skin.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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