Electrochemical Properties of the 3D Printed Graphite/Nylon Electrodes Manufactured by Selective Laser Sintering

Additive manufacturing, known as 3D printing, is vigorously involved in various industrial sectors due to the ability of rapid prototyping and customization, nowadays. While, material design and fabrication of composite materials, meeting the desired architecture and properties, are another promising application of additive manufacturing. For instance, additive manufacturing of the material exhibiting electrochemical properties is beneficial for the development of freestanding electrodes that might be used in electrochemical energy storage devices. Herein, the graphite/nylon composite with a very high carbon ratio of 30 wt. % was produced by selective laser sintering to bridge the gap and expand the 3D printing of electrochemical energy storage devices. The conducted material characterization demonstrated the porous structure of the 3D printed graphite/nylon composite with uniform distribution of the compounds, and the absence of chemical interactions between them during selective laser sintering. The electrochemical properties of the composite were investigated in acidic, neutral, and alkaline electrolytes. The tested 3D printed material demonstrated a capacitive behaviour and a stable electrochemical performance with average capacitance retention of 95%. The findings open new frontiers for the development and improvement of the production of electrochemically active materials for energy storage devices via additive manufacturing technologies.