Graphene and Plastic Might Make Next-Generation 3-D Printed Electronics

by Michael Keller

Doping plastic with graphene may be one solution to a major problem confronting 3-D printing technology. Putting just a bit of the one-atom thick sheets of linked carbon atoms into standard plastics used in 3-D printing appears to increase the strength of the final product while lowering the amount of plastic needed by half. Graphene also imparts its electric and thermal conductivity to the plastic, which normally is poor conductor of heat and electricity.

The result, demonstrated in a European project called Nanomaster, means next-generation plastic sensors and strong, lightweight products will soon be 3-D printed or injection- and compresssion-molded. It also means that desktop 3-D printers might be able to print a wider catalog than just plastic toys and models–soon moving into producing operational electronics and machines. Read more about it below.

“We’re now upscaling the material to an industrial-level output,” says Jonas Hansen, an engineer at the Danish Technological Institute. “We can use it for thermal conductive applications and low amperage electric applications like building sensors directly into constructs.”

Hansen says the goal is to fine-tune the graphene-impregnated material so that it can withstand higher amounts of current for a broader range of electrical 3-D printing applications. This would be important for any function that requires more than the trickle of electricity needed to power sensors.

The prototypes above from the Nanomaster project, which is run under a consortium of companies and institutions with support from the European Commission, were on display at the 2014 Euroscience Open Forum in Copenhagen.

All photos by Michael Keller