Chapter 16 - 3D and 4D printed polymer composites for electronic applications

The combination of intrinsically dissimilar materials, such as electrically conductive and insulating materials, to form a composite enables a vast capability of tailoring the electrical characterization of the final composites to desired properties.

In this chapter, the work on 3D and 4D printing of electrically conductive, dielectric, and insulating polymer composites is presented alongside key applications in electronic-related composites such as dielectric elastomers, soft actuators, highly tunable sensors, radio frequency-responsive structures, and various energy storage devices. By tuning the percentage of the parent materials in a composite, the percolation of the conductive solid content in polymer composites can be controlled, and the overall conductivity of the composites can be tailored. In contrast, highly insolating ceramics can raise the electrical breakdown threshold of composites by increasing the overall insulating properties of the printed structures.

Coupled with 3D and 4D printed applications, this chapter presents the electrical properties of composites with various suitable printing processes, and lays down a rigorous review of materials, processes, and applications used in 3D and 4D printing.