Basque Enterprise Europe Network

Title

A new stereolithographic active resin to fabricate smart object

Reference

TOIT20210527001

Last update

Mon, Jun, 28, 2021

Deadline

Sat, Jun, 25, 2022

Abstract

An Italian research team has developed a new stereolithographic resin based on the conductive polymer (PEDOT:PSS) and the photocurable resin PEGDA. The composite has been optimized in terms of conductivity and printability. This resin has been tested to fabricate smart objects as 3D printed electrodes, sensors, transistors and in the next future supercapacitors. To improve the resin formulation the team looks for manufacturing, technical, research and financial agreements.

Description

The Italian research Institute develops interdisciplinary research approaches in the field of Materials Science. It owns the facility for the preparation and characterization of conductive polymers and for the realization of devices, also in flexible and wearable configuration: a chemical laboratory with spin coater, wet chemistry preparation, techniques of surface characterization, high resolution scanning electron microscopy, UV-visible spectrometer and high-resolution electro-meter.
The team has a long expertise in advanced methods of synthesis and characterization of materials, as well as device manufacturing technologies, designed with the aim of exploring and demonstrating the functional properties of the materials themselves. The present invention falls within the fields of additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping and conductive polymers, biosensors.
The proposed technology is a new composite with electrical conducting properties a Sterero Litographic (SL) resin based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), which provides the conducting properties, and Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), acting as is the picture attached. The passage from the material synthesis to a practical exploitation often requires some decades. In this respect, an exhaustive example is given by carbon nanotubes and/or graphene that, although at the basis of a large set of device prototypes, still lack of an actual killer application to go out from laboratories. Indeed, the Rapid Prototyping (RP) approach ensures the extraordinary opportunity to speed up the passage from the material development to their use in well performing devices, ensuring at the same time a highly repeatable fabrication process.

Polymer development is approaching a new stage of advancement in which new functionalities especially in combination with conductive polymers and nanomaterials are more effective. In this context, the study of new composites is the key to enable the development of disruptive technologies as additive manufacturing. Increasing electrical conductivity opens the way to a new class of objects to be prototyped rapidly at low cost with a high level of customization. Further, the industry has seen a huge increase in the use of additive manufacturing techniques and a development of innovative technologies.

The research team is looking the following types of cooperation:
1) Financial agreements: at least 80.000€ for fellow’s grants, materials and experimental set-up tools to obtain a new resin formulation to reach a TRL 6-7. After that 20.000€ are needed to cover Intellectual properties rights cost used to deposit the patents and relative extension to EU end WO.
2) Technical cooperation agreements to solve the following issues: reproducibility, long term stability, cost efficiency.
3) Research cooperation agreements, aimed at investigating synergies to apply to national, European, international projects in the domain of Material Science, Industrial Technologies, Additive Manufacturing.
4) Manufacturing agreements with MNE to achieve a high-volume production for the Resin after patenting the new formulation.

Technology Keywords

3D printing;Composite materials;Conductive materials;Biosensor;Biopolymers

Keyword Codes:

01002002;02007005;02007022;05002001;06006004

Current Stage of Development

Intellectual Property Rights

Design Rights

IPR Comments:

The technology is patentable but not yet patented.

Exploitation of RTD Results

Organisation/Company Type

Organisation/Company Size

Organisation Comments

Detailed Market Application Codes (VEIC)

MA Keyword

Other electronics related equipment;Polymer (plastics) materials;Electronic chemicals

MA Keyword Codes:

03004003;08001018;08001020

Application Domain Description:

Collaboration Type

Comments:

1) Financial agreements: Expected cooperation with SME enterprises, to support with engineers and material scientists, to collaborate to obtain a new resin formulation to reach TRL 6-7. Support to cover Intellectual properties rights cost used to deposit the patents and relative extension to EU end WO.
2) Technical cooperation agreements with private research centre to solve the following issues: reproducibility, long term stability, cost efficiency.
3) Research cooperation agreements within the framework of national, European, international projects, for the development of joint project proposals within the domains of Material Science, Industrial Technologies, Additive Manufacturing.
4) Manufacturing agreements with MNE to achieve a high-volume production for the Resin after patenting the new formulation.

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