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Mechanical Engineering Commons

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Materials Science and Engineering

Theses/Dissertations

2018

3D Printing

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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering

Materials Design With Polylactic Acid-Polyethylene Glycol Blends Using 3d Printing And For Medical Applications., Jeremiah R. Bauer Apr 2018

Materials Design With Polylactic Acid-Polyethylene Glycol Blends Using 3d Printing And For Medical Applications., Jeremiah R. Bauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an examination of two material systems derived from polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). PLA is a polymer commonly sourced from renewable sources such as starches and sugars. It is a relatively strong, biodegradable polymer, making it ideal for use in the body. Even though it has a relative high strength, PLA is also brittle leading to the use of plasticizers to increase flexibility. One such plasticizer is PEG, which is a material that can exist at room temperature as either a thin liquid, or a hard waxy solid depending on the molecular weight. The first …


Development Of Material For 3d Printed Habitats With Extraplanetary Applications, Taylor Wait Jan 2018

Development Of Material For 3d Printed Habitats With Extraplanetary Applications, Taylor Wait

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

3D printing, also called Additive Manufacturing, has increasingly become a focus for research because of the potential to replace complicated assemblies or complex parts with a single printed item. The space industry is very interesting in studying 3d printing with parts being tested and used on rockets, a 3D printer being installed at the International Space Station and is being developed for use in manned exploration of extraplanetary bodies to build habitats. To encourage teams from around the world to develop technologies and materials for autonomous habitat construction using minimal Earth exports, NASA created the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge. NASA …