The effects of material extrusion printing speed on the conductivity of carbon black/polylactic acid electrodes

Material extrusion printing process can make electrodes and electronic components at any geometry and has provided a reproducible approach towards the fabrication of conductive carbon thermoplastic composite parts. Printing parameters can have a significant influence on the conductivity of the printed part, however limited studies have focused on understanding the impact of printing parameters. Our study explored the influence of printing speed on the conductivity of 3D printed carbon black/polylactic acid (CB/PLA) electrodes. We made CB/PLA at print speeds ranging from 20 to 100 mm/s and evaluated the performance of these electrodes using inner and outer sphere redox probes and through imaging. Electrodes made using 60 mm/s printing speed had the greatest electrochemical activity. Electrodes made using higher and lower printing speeds were more resistive. This study is the first to demonstrate the significant impact that printing speed can have on the conductivity of 3D printed CB/PLA electrodes. The implications of this study are important when defining the 3D printing manufacturing process of electrodes and electronic components.