Research into a Novel Support Material for Jetting Based RM Process

Jetting of caprolactam is a new Rapid Manufacturing process currently in the early phases of research at Loughborough University. Support material is required to successfully build a part using this method. This work is therefore, aimed at finding a suitable support material for jetting of caprolactam. Pluronic F-127 with a non aqueous solvent was investigated using different experimental techniques such as heating and cooling between 25 to 1500C, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Polarization Microscopy and the possibility of use of these systems as a support material is discussed. The results suggested that when Pluronic F-127 in ethylene glycol is heated, it does not form a gel at concentrations lower than 25% (w/w) whereas at 25%, a gel state was observed near 500C. All concentrations studied formed a white wax like solid upon cooling due to a changed conformational structure of PEO chains. Although, a gel/solid state was not observed at high temperatures, these compositions can provide a possible support material for a low temperature (i.e. 250C) build environment.