Paper Number
GI5 My Program
Session
Gallery of Rheology - Images
Title
Helix of growth
Presentation Date and Time
October 22, 2025 (Wednesday) 6:30
Track / Room
Gallery of Rheology Session: Images / Sweeney Ballroom E+F
Authors
- Hossain, Mohammad Tanver (University Of Illinois Urbana-champaign, Mechanical Science and Engineering)
- Kim, Yun Seong (University Of Illinois Urbana-champaign)
- Tawfick, Sameh H. (University Of Illinois Urbana-champaign, Mechanical Science and Engineering)
- Ewoldt, Randy H. (University Of Illinois Urbana-champaign, Mechanical Science and Engineering)
Author and Affiliation Lines
Mohammad Tanver Hossain, Yun Seong Kim, Sameh H. Tawfick and Randy H. Ewoldt
Mechanical Science and Engineering, University Of Illinois Urbana-champaign, Urbana, IL 61801
Speaker / Presenter
Hossain, Mohammad Tanver
Keywords
additve manufacturing; advanced manufacturing; applied rheology; techniques
Text of Abstract
Emerging from the earthy foundation, the twisting helix in this image represents our research journey from potential to realization. Fabricated via ‘growth printing’, a novel additive manufacturing process we developed, the helix mimics the principles of natural growth seen in plants and organisms – where chemical reactions interact with the environment to drive development. Utilizing chemistry that converts liquid resin to solid plastic, we ‘grew’ this helix into its shape using a motion stage. This sprouting helix showcases the potential of merging nature's wisdom with scientific innovation, opening a doorway to a more sustainable future for manufacturing. For those interested in the technical aspects of materials science: the growth printing is driven by frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) chemistry, carefully coordinated with printer motion and heat transfer. The self-sustaining exothermic FROMP reaction cures a resin mixture of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and polybutadiene (PBD) into a thermoset polymer at a curing at speed approximately 1 mm/s. This process does not require any continuous input of energy to the system to sustain the chemical reaction, making growth printing remarkably energy-efficient and faster compared to conventional additive manufacturing methods.