Advances, Limitations, and Future Perspectives in 3D Printing of Porous Glasses: A Technical Note

In this study, the latest developments in 3D printing of porous glasses are discussed. Current challenges in 3D printing of porous-based microfluidic devices mostly include the printing resolution which is correlated with the processing time, post treating, and developing tailored materials for porous glasses. Although the latter issue has been resolved to some extent recently, the former has remained a challenge. Currently, the smallest 3D printed feature in a microfluidic structure is 200µm while higher resolutions are required in some applications. On the other hand, previous reports have shown intensive printing time for higher resolutions. To achieve an optimal compromise, further investigations and technological advancements in the printing technology should be carried out. An extrusion-based 3D printing system “G3DP2” developed by MIT researchers enables the printing of porous glasses by controlling the heating and cooling cycles. The other important challenge is related to the printable glass materials. Recently, newly developed materials such as ceramic-based resins and “Glassomer” that contains fine glass powders in a plastic binder matrix, has enabled the fabrication of porous glasses by resin 3D printing systems.