Customization of 3D Printed Silicone Foams

The rheological properties of the PDMS inks significantly impact the creation of foam using direct ink writing (DIW). This study investigates the influence of glucose and nano-silica on the rheological properties of ink and the characteristics of its pores. Nano-silica significantly enhances yield stress of the ink due to its substantial and immediate network formation with PDMS chains, while glucose primarily acts as a passive filler. A minimum of 5.00phr of nano-silica is essential to maintain silicone ink in viscoelasticity condition, ensure a consistent ink extrusion rate and shape fidelity during direct ink writing (DIW). Additionally, glucose exerted pronounced effect on the porosity of PDMS foam’s, with 42% porosity achieved with 10phr glucose increment. Consequently, the PDMS foam’s porosity can be tailored to the specific application by varying the glucose dosage. The deduction of printability and porosity dependencies on the nano silica and glucose respectively allows the printing of tunable silicone foams for advanced process such as soft robotics, wearable sensors via IoT, drug delivery and etc. © 2026, Association of American Publishers. All rights reserved.