Review on the 3D printing technology and application of magnetic materials: Material-process-structure-application

Abstract

Magnetic materials, as a type of functional material, play an important role in many fields. However, the traditional manufacturing process is limited for only forming simple geometric shapes, which restricts the application and development of magnetic materials. 3D printing technology provides a new path for the development, structural design, and applications of magnetic materials, with the advantages of low cost, flexible design, and rapid prototyping, which will be one of the most promising technology for the magnetic materials. In this paper, aiming at the 3D printing technology, the advanced magnetic materials are discussed, such as soft magnetic materials, hard magnetic materials and their composite materials; the new manufacturing processes are analyzed, such as magnetic field-assisted 3D printing; the innovative structures are introduced, such as bionic structure and honeycomb structure; and the typical applications are presented, such as soft robots, 4D printing, and drug delivery. Moreover, the interaction relation among the ''material — process — structure — application'' in 3D printing of the magnetic materials is figured out, and the optimal adaptability among them is compared and evaluated. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities are summarized and discussed. The results show that with the continuous development of new 3D printing technologies for magnetic materials, more innovations will be created in magnetic materials, processes, structures, and applications.