Polymers Additive Manufacturing and Rheology
This grant supports research on polymer 3D printing, focusing on rheology, processing, and material properties to improve part strength and reproducibility using techniques like X-ray and Raman microscopy.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $82,764 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research on polymer additive manufacturing focusing on rheology, processing, and material properties to improve strength and reproducibility using advanced measurement techniques like in-situ X-ray and rheo-Raman microscopy.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a doctoral degree earned within the last 5 years; requires contacting a Research Adviser prior to application; NIST participates in February and August review cycles.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing research in polymer additive manufacturing (3D printing). Additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex, high-value, and customized parts directly from 3D digital models. Polymers are particularly attractive materials for this technology due to their cost-effectiveness, diverse properties, and compatibility with low-energy fabrication methods.
The research aims to address challenges that limit the broader adoption and commercialization of polymer additive manufacturing by developing new measurement methods, standards, data, and models. Key research areas include:
- Development of in-situ X-ray measurements to study crystallization kinetics during polymer extrusion additive manufacturing (fused deposition modeling, FDM).
- Measurement of gelation and solidification kinetics during photopolymerization (stereolithography, SLA) using a newly developed rheo-Raman microscope.
- Additional research on polymer strand alignment using Raman microscopy is available under a related posting.
The work is conducted within the Materials Science and Engineering Division at NIST’s Material Measurement Laboratory, supporting applications in aerospace, defense, automotive, sports, telecommunications, and medical devices.
