Investigations on 3D printed PVDF composite based recyclable reconfigurable smart dry cell

Abstract

Recycling plays a vital role in modern waste reduction strategies, and it is a crucial element of the waste hierarchy, which prioritizes reduction, reuse, and recycling. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a well-known thermoplastic with intrinsic piezoelectric properties. Much research on using virgin PVDF thermoplastics for sensing applications has been published in the previous 20 years. However, more needs to be reported on the 3D printing of recycled PVDF as a smart energy storage device (ESD). The goal of this work is to investigate the possibilities of 3D printed smart ESD comprising of PVDF reinforced with manganese dioxide (MnO2), graphite, zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) in varying weight ratios using melt processing and dispenser printing. PVDF composites were processed to form a feedstock filament using melt processing, which further was not printable during the initial stage. Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was blended in a PVDF matrix, and successful 3D printing was observed to ensure its printability. For dispenser 3D printing, the gel formation of PVDF and its composites were formed and processed on a dispenser printer for successful 3D printing. The study also highlights the mechanical, morphological, electrical, and dielectric properties of PVDF and its composites, which were processed by melt processing and 3D dispenser printing. 3D dispenser printing has an advantage over melt processing as it offers higher flexibility for adding salts/chemicals with uniform dispersion in the polymer matrix, which may increase the life of ESD. newline