3D Printed PVDF

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the 3D printing of PVDF, a piezoelectric polymer, achieving a d33 coefficient significantly higher than previous 3D printed samples, marking progress in additive manufacturing of piezoelectric materials.

Contribution

First successful 3D printing and activation of PVDF with a notably improved piezoelectric response compared to prior 3D printed versions.

Findings

d33 coefficient of 6 pC/N achieved

Significant improvement over previous 3D printed PVDF

Progress towards functional 3D printed piezoelectric devices

Abstract

In this paper we report on the 3D printing and testing of the piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). Samples of PVDF were fabricated using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer and then activated using a corona poling process. The d33 piezoelectric coefficient, which is related to the overall piezoelectric performance, was experimentally measured using a d33 meter to be 6 pC/N. While less than commercially available PVDF fabricated using traditional techniques (which can have a d33 between 10 and 40 pC/N), the value of 6 pC/N achieved in this work is several orders of magnitude larger than comparable previously published results for 3D printed PVDF, and as a result represents a significant step in the 3D printing of piezoelectric polymers.