Polymer Design for 3D Printing Elastomers: Recent Advances in Structure, Properties, and Printing

Elastomers are a unique and important class of polymers that enjoy applications in virtually every industry, including healthcare, aerospace, automotive, and apparel. However, due to inherent physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of elastomers, the additive manufacturing (AM) of elastomers remains challenging. These challenges are discussed in the context of various AM processes, including powder bed fusion, material extrusion, and vat photopolymerization. This review provides an in-depth discussion of the current state of silicone and polyurethane polymers for AM, and also discusses polyesters/polycarbonates, liquid crystalline elastomers, and monomer compositions that provide elastomeric properties upon photocuring. Finally, the current state of common, commercially-available elastomers for AM is provided, as well as an outlook for this rapidly progressing field. We expect this review to be useful for any research involved with the additive manufacturing of elastomers.