Recent advances in the 3D printing of ionic electroactive polymers and core ionomeric materials

Abstract

In this paper, we present a review of the recent advances in the 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, of ionic electroactive polymers (EAP) and their future applications. Ionic EAPs are a promising field of study that has only recently seen a shift towards additive manufacture with advances in more sophisticated 3D printing technologies. Several current ionic EAP additive manufacturing processes and reported applications are discussed. This paper reviews explicitly ionic EAPs, over their dielectric counterparts, due to their potential applications as artificial muscles and the possibility to produce them through recent additive manufacturing developments. The mechanisms of actuation behind these recent developments and known material examples are also examined. We also discuss the merits of additive manufacturing and its potential in the field of electroactive polymer production and application. References have been provided to further cement the growing interest in this field and provide an in-depth explanation of the essential concepts and mechanisms.