Inkjet printing of polyvinyl alcohol multilayers for additive manufacturing applications

3D Ink jet printing technology is based on the Additive Manufacturing concept [1] and has gained a large interest in the recent years. The factors driving this continuous interest are mainly attributed to its efficiency in material use, digital and additive patterning, large area capability, compatibility with rigid/flexible substrates, and low-cost. Inkjet printing is with no doubt one of the most promising technologies for applications in microelectronic [2] and optoelectronic devices [3]. Inkjet printing is a non-contact method, and works by ejecting ink through very fine nozzles. The physical properties (surface tension and viscosity) of the ink play a crucial role on the quality/morphology of the printed film. Here we demonstrate that Inkjet printing technology is capable of produce polymer-based multi-layer structures. In this work, a number of polyvinyl alcohol water based inks were formulated. A range of humectants were investigated to improve the viscosity and surface tension, and to prevent blocking of the printer nozzles. The surface tension of the formulated inks was tested at room temperature using the pendent drop method via a Drop Shape Analyser. The viscosity of a liquid was measured by employing cylindrical rotational viscometry. A proprietary 3D Inkjet printing machine was utilized to print polymer multilayer structures. The surface profile and the thickness uniformity of Inkjet printed multi-layers were evaluated by optical contour and FT-IR microscopy. [1] N.Hopkinson, R.Hague, P.Dickens, Rapid manufacturing: an industrial revolution for the digital age. West Sussex, UK, John Wiley and Sons; 2006 [2] M.Toda, Y.Chen, S.K.Nett, A.N.Itakura, J.Gutmann, R.Berger, , J. of Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118, 8071-8078 [3] V.Fauzia, A.Umar, M.M.Salleh, M.Yahya,ICSE2010 Proc.Melaka, Malaysia, 60, 2010