Development of Triboelectric Nanogenerator Using Flexible 3D Printed Polyamide

Abstract

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has become increasingly popular for harvesting ambient mechanical energy to produce electrical power and operate self-powered sensors and wearable electronics. 3D printing (3DP) has been suggested as a new and efficient technique for developing TENGs. There has been limited advancement in this technique due to challenges associated with material compatibility and printing processes. This study explores the use of advanced 3D printing techniques, such as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Polyjet printing (PJ) to fabricate flexible triboelectric materials. Thin layers of Polyamide 6,6 (PA6,6), Veroclear, Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA), and Copper mixed Polylactic Acid (Cu-PLA), PC are developed using 3D printing. These printed layers have been used to develop TENG devices. Electrical characterization is performed to analyse the best performing pairs of triboelectric materials. The device with the pairing of 3DP-PA 6,6 and 3DP-Veroclear has obtained highest open circuit voltage of 63V and the highest instantaneous current of $\mathbf{0.8}\ \boldsymbol{\mu}\mathbf{A}$ . AC output was converted into DC output with the help of an efficient designed power management circuit. DC output is then utilized to charge a capacitor and glow 20 commercial LEDs. This study provides new insights into fabrication phases of TENGs and can contribute to the development of flexible self-powered systems and wearable electronics applications.