Lithographic crystallinity regulation in additive fabrication of thermoplastics (CRAFT)

For semicrystalline polyolefin thermoplastics, the balance between interconnected ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous regions is paramount to their performance and processability. However, contemporary manufacturing strategies, from injection molding to three-dimensional (3D) printing, result in monolithic objects, unable to spatially encode crystallinity. We develop a light-based approach for fabricating mechanically robust polyolefin thermoplastics with microscopic control over crystallinity in 3D space. Light dosage governs polymer stereochemistry giving access to a continuum of materials, from strong rigid plastics, such as high-density polyethylene, to more extensible materials akin to low-density polyethylene, all at the flick of a switch. Leveraging this finding in lithographic grayscale 3D printing enables rapid multimaterial fabrication with voxel-level control over optical and mechanical properties, opening avenues in information storage, soft robotics, and energy damping.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science
Published
2026-01-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aeb3637
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
71.18
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article

Lithographic crystallinity regulation in additive fabrication of thermoplastics (CRAFT)

Guddi K. Suman, Caitlin S. Sample, Elizabeth A. Recker, Hernan Villanueva et al.
3 citations
Science
Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies
71.18
article

Lithographic crystallinity regulation in additive fabrication of thermoplastics (CRAFT)

Guddi K. Suman, Caitlin S. Sample, Elizabeth A. Recker, Hernan Villanueva, E. M. Baca, Meghan T. Kiker, Devin J. Roach, Alex J. Commisso, Keldy S. Mason, Nirvana T. Almada, Zachariah A. Page, Adam Bischoff, Bryan Kaehr, Keith Fritzsching, Samuel C. Leguizamon, Eric M. Nagel, Michael J. Holzmann, Brad H. Jones, Minh Nhat Pham, Hayden E. Fowler, Claire Jolowsky, Johanna J. Schwartz, Chi Phuong H. Nguyen, Leah N. Appelhans
article en
3 citations

Abstract

For semicrystalline polyolefin thermoplastics, the balance between interconnected ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous regions is paramount to their performance and processability. However, contemporary manufacturing strategies, from injection molding to three-dimensional (3D) printing, result in monolithic objects, unable to spatially encode crystallinity. We develop a light-based approach for fabricating mechanically robust polyolefin thermoplastics with microscopic control over crystallinity in 3D space. Light dosage governs polymer stereochemistry giving access to a continuum of materials, from strong rigid plastics, such as high-density polyethylene, to more extensible materials akin to low-density polyethylene, all at the flick of a switch. Leveraging this finding in lithographic grayscale 3D printing enables rapid multimaterial fabrication with voxel-level control over optical and mechanical properties, opening avenues in information storage, soft robotics, and energy damping.

ScienceVol. 391(6784)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (US), Oregon State University (US), Savannah River National Laboratory (US), Sandia National Laboratories (US), Arizona State University (US), The University of Texas at Austin (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies
71.18
DOISourceOpenAlex
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