Material extrusion-based 3D printed capacitor optimization: Enhancing performance with ZnO and Cu-CNT reinforced ABS composites

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in 3D printed electronics due to its potential to revolutionize the electronics industry. 3D printed electronics assists in creation of customized electronic devices that can be tailored to specific needs. Our current work focusses on developing material extrusion (MEX) 3D printed capacitors using Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) as base polymer. This research aims to investigate the effect of incorporating nanofillers, specifically zinc oxide (ZnO) and copper-carbon nanotubes (Cu-CNT), on the overall properties of polymer composites. The composites were prepared by melt blending ABS with varying concentrations of itaconic acid modified (m-ZnO) and Cu-CNT, followed by 3D printing into capacitor structures. The goal is to enhance the electrical performance of these composites and enable their use in 3D printed capacitors. The studies derived the influence of m-ZnO in enhancing the capacitance and dielectric constant of ABS polymer, while the presence of Cu-CNT augmented the electrical conductivity of ABS by 9 orders of magnitude. These nanofillers also contributed in amplifying tensile strength of ABS polymer along with its thermal properties. Further, the paper describes the design of a 3D printed capacitor that uses ABS/m-ZnO as the dielectric layer and ABS/Cu-CNT as the conducting layer, thereby making it a suitable candidate for developing capacitors with higher capacitance, energy storage devices with improved energy density, and sensors with higher sensitivity.