Anisotropic mechanical behavior of 3D printed liquid crystal elastomer

Additive manufacturing using liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) has recently been explored for fabricating structures with stimuli-responsiveness and tunable mechanical behavior. Such structures show promising potential in the fields of soft robotics, haptic devices, and energy-absorbing materials. Herein, we study the processing-structure-property relationships of LCE sheets printed using direct ink writing (DIW) additive manufacturing. The printed sheets show anisotropic and temperature-dependent mechanical behaviors. We show that by tailoring the liquid crystal orientation patterns, the stress-strain relationship, as well as the strain distribution in the sheets (when subjected to a mechanical load), can be programmed. This work provides foundational material property and processing data for the design of additively manufactured LCE-based devices.

Automated summary

In this study, the additive manufacturing of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) sheets using direct ink writing (DIW) was investigated. By tailoring the liquid crystal orientation patterns, the stress-strain relationship and strain distribution in the printed sheets could be programmed. These findings provide foundational material property and processing data for the design of additively manufactured LCE-based devices.