THE DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL METAL-ORGANIC FRAMEWORK AND POLYMER COMPOSITES FOR USE AS 3D PRINTABLE MATERIALS

In this study, novel metal-organic framework (MOF) and polymer composites were developed for use as 3D printable gas-absorbing materials. Namely, the MOFs HKUST-1 and ZIF-8 were incorporated into ABS polymer matrices at a 10% (w/w) level through the use of a twin-screw compounder. The structure and stability of these novel materials were characterized using infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and powder x-ray diffractometry. Analyses show that composite materials demonstrate high thermal stability and are resistant to degradation by water and humidity. It was additionally determined that incorporated MOFs do not interact chemically with the ABS matrix (no bond formation is observed) but are merely physically distributed within the polymer. Studies of the gas-absorbing properties of the composite materials reveal that ZIF-8 improves the BET surface-area and gas capacity of ABS by a quantity equal to 10% of ZIF-8 alone, while HKUST-1 improves these values only modestly. It has been concluded here that HKUST-1 may be a piezo-sensitive material and, as a result, composites of this particular MOF will need to be processed and tested differently in future studies. The study additionally demonstrates the printability of these and other MOF composites and paves the way for exciting future research on printed MOF materials through the development of optimized printing parameters and material designs.