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University of Wyoming Professor Receives Grant for Novel Approaches to Soft 3D Printed Materials

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Daniel Rau, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study novel approaches to soft 3D printed materials. The grant, worth $198,932, will enable Rau to investigate why current additive manufacturing processes produce warped blobs rather than stable, functional products when attempting to print elastomers. The research aims to improve the vat photopolymerization 3D-printing process for soft elastomers, with potential applications in the biomedical industry.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of Wyoming's Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Daniel Rau, has received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study novel approaches to soft 3D printed materials.
  • The grant, worth $198,932, will enable Rau to investigate why current additive manufacturing processes produce warped blobs rather than stable, functional products when attempting to print elastomers.
  • Rau's research project, titled "Improving the Vat Photopolymerization 3D-Printing of Soft Elastomers Through a Deeper Understanding of Process Dynamics," aims to improve the vat photopolymerization 3D-printing process for soft elastomers.
  • The research involves the use of two novel approaches: photorheology and X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) to study the adhesion process during curing of the photopolymers.
  • Rau is collaborating with a team at the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y. to utilize their 2.5-kilometer synchrotron to accelerate X-ray beams onto printed materials.
  • The insights gained from these experiments will be used to produce a cookbook of sorts with recipes to help tailor manufacturing processes for soft materials.
  • The technology has the potential to impact daily living in the biomedical industry, allowing for the creation of comfortable implants, wearable devices, and protective gear.

Statistics:

  • The grant awarded to Rau is worth $198,932.
  • The research project, "Improving the Vat Photopolymerization 3D-Printing of Soft Elastomers Through a Deeper Understanding of Process Dynamics," will utilize two novel approaches: photorheology and XPCS.
  • The collaboration with the Brookhaven National Laboratory will utilize their 2.5-kilometer synchrotron to accelerate X-ray beams onto printed materials.
  • The National Science Foundation (NSF) award ID for this grant is 2502245.

Sources:

  • University of Wyoming (News)

https://www.uwyo.edu/news/2025/08/uw-engineering-professor-receives-grant-for-novel-approaches-to-soft-3d-printed-materials.html

  • National Science Foundation (Award Search)

www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2502245&HistoricalAwards=false

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