3D Printing Thermoelectric Materials
Can you 3D print a device that turns wasted heat into electricity? This thesis optimized the ink formulation to make it possible.
Class:
ENGS 88: Senior Honors Thesis
OVERVIEW
Developed a 3D-printable ink formulation for Bismuth Antimony Telluride (Bi₀.₅Sb₁.₅Te₃) thermoelectric materials that exceeds the previously reported powder loading ceiling by ~29% — from ~70 wt.% to 90 wt.% — while maintaining full print fidelity. The result is a demonstrated route to scalable additive manufacturing of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) capable of converting waste heat directly into electricity, with potential applications in both industrial energy recovery and wearable devices.
The work delivers what the field has lacked: a systematic, comparative binder-selection framework linking binder chemistry to rheology to print fidelity — replacing the trial-and-error approach that characterizes existing literature.
MY ROLE.
Designed and executed a systematic binder-selection framework, screening 6 organic binders (MC, HPMC, XG, PEI, PAA, PVP) across qualitative syringe-extrusion tests and quantitative rheological characterization
Developed a 5-point syringe test scoring rubric to evaluate extrusion flow, shape retention, and drying across all binder combinations at both 70 wt.% and 90 wt.% loading
Conducted full rheological characterization of all 9 binder combinations using oscillating disc rheometry, including shear rate sweeps, thixotropy hysteresis, step-shear recovery, and yield stress measurements
Identified HPMC + PEI as the optimal binder system — combining strong shear-thinning, fast structural recovery, and the highest yield stress across all tested formulations
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Experimental Design • Root-Cause Analysis • Direct Ink Writing • Rheological Characterization • Materials Characterization • Additive Manufacturing •
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Experimental Design • Root-Cause Analysis • Direct Ink Writing • Rheological Characterization • Materials Characterization • Additive Manufacturing •
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Experimental Design • Root-Cause Analysis • Direct Ink Writing • Rheological Characterization • Materials Characterization • Additive Manufacturing •
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Experimental Design • Root-Cause Analysis • Direct Ink Writing • Rheological Characterization • Materials Characterization • Additive Manufacturing •
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Experimental Design • Root-Cause Analysis • Direct Ink Writing • Rheological Characterization • Materials Characterization • Additive Manufacturing •
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