Additive Manufacturing of Bovine Serum Albumin-based and Pluronic F127 Hydrogels and Bioplastics

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) has claimed its place as one of the key elements in the fourth industrial revolution, the automation and digitization of industry. By enabling one to rapidly fabricate and test any 3D structure over a range of length scales with limited expertise, AM is challenging the status quo of how things are invented and manufactured. However, the severe lack of materials that are compatible with AM limits its ability to disrupt the traditional manufacturing industry. To push the boundaries and drive forward innovation in manufacturing, new materials must be designed specifically for AM. This thesis explores the investigation of the printability of a library of synthetic inks for direct-ink write 3D printing and the development of globular protein-based resins for stereolithography. The inks for DIW are based on Pluronic F127, a triblock copolymer that forms temperature responsive, shear thinning hydrogels. Several rheological parameters that define a successful ink for DIW 3D printing are identified. Additionally, the development of a protein-based resin is reported, wherein the globular protein, bovine serum albumin, is modified and formulated into a photocurable resin for stereolithography. Several post-print treatments such as 120 °C thermal denaturation or tannic acid incubation were employed to tune the mechanical properties of the printed structures. This work demonstrates a set of resins and post-print treatments that can be used for a range of applications from biomedical devices to bioplastics.