Data from research to develop chitosan-based electroconductive inks for 3D printing for EMI shielding and strain sensing applications

In this work, we developed an electroconductive ink for direct-ink-writing 3D printing that can be easily prepared without chemical reaction and exhibits excellent printability and material properties. This ink is based on chitosan as a binder, carbon fibers (CF) as a low-cost electroactive filler, and silk fibroin (SF) as a structural stabilizer. The 3D printability and flow behavior of the ink were investigated with different formulations. FTIR and TGA results showed interaction between chitosan chains and the amide groups of SF, while SEM revealed an interconnected network of CF in the composite. Using freeform 3D printing, the composite ink can form a designated pattern of electroconductive strips embedded in an elastomer, realizing an effective strain sensor for e.g. monitoring finger bending. The high printability of the ink can also be demonstrated by the printing of complex geometries without chemical or photoinitiated reactions. The composite materials are lightweight (density 0.59–0.29 g/cm3), electroconductive (2.84–2.64 s/cm), and inexpensive (20 USD/kg), with tensile strengths in the range 18.77–20.27 MPa. The 3D-printed composite had an EMI shielding effectiveness of 30–31 dB. Thus, the biopolymer-based ink developed here shows great potential for EMI shielding and other electronic applications.  
The data from this research include:

Density of materials developed in the project; 
EMI shielding effectiveness; 
FTIR spectra; 
Tensile mechanical properties; 
Particle size; 
Resistivity; 
Rheological results; 
Sample preparation details; 
SEM images; 
Strain sensor data; 
TGA results

在本项研究中，我们开发了一种适用于直接墨水写入3D打印的电导性油墨，该油墨可轻松制备，无需化学反应，并展现出优异的打印性能和材料特性。该油墨以壳聚糖作为粘合剂，碳纤维（CF）作为低成本电活性填料，以及丝素蛋白（SF）作为结构稳定剂。通过不同的配方对油墨的3D打印性和流动行为进行了研究。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和热重分析（TGA）结果表明，壳聚糖链与丝素蛋白的酰胺基团之间存在相互作用，而扫描电子显微镜（SEM）揭示了复合材料中碳纤维的相互交织网络。利用自由形式3D打印，该复合油墨能够在弹性体中形成指定图案的电导条，从而实现有效的应变传感器，例如用于监测手指弯曲。油墨的高打印性能亦可通过无需化学或光引发反应的复杂几何形状的打印来证明。该复合材料轻便（密度0.59–0.29 g/cm³）、导电（2.84–2.64 s/cm）且经济实惠（20美元/千克），其拉伸强度在18.77–20.27 MPa范围内。3D打印的复合材料具有30–31 dB的电磁干扰（EMI）屏蔽效能。因此，本研究所开发的基于生物聚合物油墨在EMI屏蔽及其他电子应用方面展现出巨大的潜力。该研究数据包括：项目开发材料的密度；EMI屏蔽效能；FTIR光谱；拉伸力学性能；粒子尺寸；电阻率；流变学结果；样品制备细节；SEM图像；应变传感器数据；TGA结果。