Nano Today (2013) 8, 119120

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/nanotoday

NEWS AND OPINIONS

3D printing of multifunctional nanocomposites

Thomas A. Campbell , Olga S. Ivanova

Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), Virginia Tech, United States

Received 3 October 2012; received in revised form 28 November 2012; accepted 6 December 2012
Available online 26 January 2013

KEYWORDS Summary Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing) holds strong potential for the forma-
Nanocomposites; tion of a new class of multifunctional nanocomposites. With the ability to print complex 3D
Nanomaterials; objects layer by layer, additive manufacturing with nanomaterials could be leveraged in new
Additive ways toward greater control over material properties across part dimensions. Multifunction-
manufacturing; ality through embedding of nanomaterials can further extend capabilities of nanocomposites
3D printing to properties such as gradients in thermal and electrical conductivity, photonic emissions tun-
able for wavelength, and increased strength and reduced weight. Here we discuss the promises
offered by nanomaterials-based additive manufacturing as a new paradigm for nanocomposite
functionality.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nanocomposites attract researchers and industry because
of their potential combination of properties from both
the nanomaterials and the host materials matrix. The
allure of nanocomposites is the expectation of dramatic
improvements in properties in areas important to such var-
ied industries as aerospace, automotive, semiconductor,
plastics, and chemicals [1]. However, challenges remain
for nanocomposites production in several areas, includ-
ing processing, cost, consistency and reliability in volume
production, high lead time, and oxidative and thermal insta-
bility of nanomaterials [2]. New processing techniques with
an eye toward multifunctionality could offer advantages for
nanocomposites.
A research area paralleling the development of nanocom-
posites over recent decades is Additive Manufacturing (AM,
Corresponding author at: 325 Stanger Street, ICTAS, MC 0193,
Suite 410E, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States.
Tel.: +1 540 231 8359; fax: +1 540 231 0970.
E-mail address: tomca@vt.edu (T.A. Campbell).
aka, 3D printing). AM begins with a 3D model of the object,
which is then digitized and sliced into model layers with
special software. The AM system then prints 2D layers into
a 3D build, adding each new layer on top of the prior layer.
Finally, a 3D object is realized that can frequently be used
directly from the printer [3].
Could a marriage of nanomaterials and AM offer new
opportunities in nanocomposites? Adding nanomaterials such
as carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and quantum dots to host
matrices such as polymers, metals, and ceramics via AM
has the potential to enable greater capabilities in nanocom-
posites production. This union of technologies could offer
clear advantages by the manipulation of fundamental mate-
rial properties in objects (through nanomaterials) that can
possess customized geometries, reduced delay between
design iterations, single tool production, and increased parts
integration (through AM).
Past research has demonstrated promising results on
incorporating nanomaterials to AM. Two ways to introduce
nanomaterials into a 3D print job are: (1) 3D printing of
the host matrix material with intermittent stoppages of

1748-0132/$ see front matter 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2012.12.002
120
Figure 1 Nanocomposites [1].
the batch print job and introduction of nanomaterials
automatically or manually, and (2) pre-mixing of the
nanomaterials into the host matrix, followed by 3D printing
of the nanocomposite mixture as a complete part. Adding
nanomaterials can improve mechanical properties, increase
thermal and electrical conductivity, lower sintering tem-
peratures, and affect dimensional accuracy [4]. This delity
of control would offer a powerful toolbox in routine 3D
object production (Fig. 1).
To achieve control of material properties requires us to go
beyond process control issues of nanocomposites. AM meth-
ods have their own limitations (nozzle clogging, aggregation
within printing media, rough surface nish of printed parts,
etc.) when nanoparticles are applied with the respective
printing media. Fundamental questions must be answered
before nanocomposites can be routinely produced via AM
e.g., what nanomaterials can be applied in what AM
processes? What measurement steps are needed to ensure
homogeneity, or in the case of gradient materials, controlled
positioning of the nanomaterials?
More researchers need to become engaged to realize the
mutual benets of nanotechnology and AM. A recent review
article [4] discusses the state of the art. There were a total
of only a few dozen articles in the open literature, including
peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings and
patents. Despite early successes, challenges in the appli-
cation of nanomaterials to AM are nevertheless numerous:
several nanomaterials have yet to be applied in an AM
context; there is little information on the interaction of
nanocomposites with 3D printing material; and standard-
ized process parameters and synthesis methods for different
nanomaterials and processes do not yet exist.
Both the nanotechnology and AM communities could
benet from increased scholarly interactions and collabora-
tions. At the recent annual SFF Symposium in Austin, Texas
(the major US academic conference on AM), there were only
a handful of nanotechnology researchers attending. Simi-
larly, it is rare to see AM researchers at nanotechnology con-
ferences. Only through such greater engagement between
the nanotechnology and AM communities can the promises of
3D printing of multifunctional nanocomposites be realized.
T.A. Campbell, O.S. Ivanova
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge collaboration with Dr.
Christopher B. Williams of the Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Department of Engineering Education at Vir-
ginia Tech for his insights on Additive Manufacturing. O.I.
gratefully acknowledges ICTAS for her funding as an ICTAS
postdoctoral associate.
References
[1] C. Allocca, G. Blackman, J. Dasch, J. Hay, K. McIver, T. Nguyen,
in: M.T. Postek, K.W. Lyons, M.S. Ouimette, G.M. Holdridge
(Eds.), Instrumentation, Metrology, and Standards for Nanoman-
ufacturing, Workshop of the National Science and Technology
Council Interagency Working Group on Manufacturing Research
and Development, October 1719, 2006, p. 69.
[2] V. Patel, Y. Mahajan, in: http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/
spotid=23934.php, January 2012 (accessed October 2012).
[3] T.A. Campbell, C.B. Williams, O.S. Ivanova, B. Garrett, Strategic
Foresight, Report No. 1, Strategic Foresight Initiative, Atlantic
Council, 2011.
[4] O.S. Ivanova, C.B. Williams, T.A. Campbell, Rapid Prototyping
J., in press.
Dr. Thomas A. Campbell is Associate Direc-
tor for Outreach and Research Associate
Professor with the Institute for Critical
Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS,
http://www.ictas.vt.edu) at Virginia Tech.
His research specializations are nano-
materials and additive manufacturing
(nanocomposites, additive manufacturing
systems and metrology, nano-photonics,
applications, commercialization), and
science and technology policy (bridg-
ing the divide between researchers and policy leaders). He
directs the Laboratory for Engineered Nanosystems (LENS,
http://www.ictas.vt.edu/lens/). Tom joined Virginia Tech from
ADA Technologies, Inc. (Littleton, CO). Prior to ADA, he was with
Saint-Gobain, Inc. (Cleveland, OH), and an Alexander von Humboldt
Research Fellow with the University of Freiburg (Germany). Tom
holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from
the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a B.E. with Honors
in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University (Nashville,
Tennessee).
Dr. Olga S. Ivanova is an ICTAS Postdoctoral
Associate with Virginia Tech. Her research is
focused upon synthesis and applications of
nanocomposites via Additive Manufacturing
systems. She is a member of the American
Chemical Society (ACS) and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS). Her Ph.D. research was on electro-
chemical stability of metal nanostructures.
She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Analytical
Chemistry from the University of Louisville
(Louisville, Kentucky) and a M.S. and B.S. in Physical Chemistry from
the Perm State University (Perm, Russia).