Events

Description:

Dr. Mike Zimmerman

Professor of the Practice, Tufts University

Founder, Z-Polymers

Tuesday, November 4, Webinar at 5:00 PM Pacific time

Abstract

Additive manufacturing of high-performance polymers is often limited by anisotropic mechanical behavior arising from weak interlayer adhesion and poor chain diffusion during layer deposition. Tullomer™, a novel fully crystalline liquid crystal polymer (LCP), addresses these challenges through its unique molecular ordering and tailorable interfacial dynamics. The polymer exhibits high axial crystallinity, low moisture uptake (0.04%), and a thermal stability exceeding 200 °C, resulting in exceptional dimensional stability and low dielectric loss. However, initial formulations demonstrated limited Z-direction strength, characteristic of rigid-chain LCPs.

In this work, systematic process structure-property studies were conducted to optimize Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) print parameters and develop composite formulations that enhance interlayer bonding without compromising stiffness or thermal stability. Through control of printing parameters like print speed, layer height, and airflow, along with interlayer diffusion and inclusion of compatible polymeric phases, Z-direction strength was improved by more than 6x relative to baseline Tullomer™.

The resulting materials exhibit a unique combination of high tensile modulus, low coefficient of thermal expansion, non-flammability, and chemical inertness, with complete PFAS elimination and recyclability. These findings establish Tullomer™ as a new class of crystalline LCP suitable for high-performance additive manufacturing, enabling functional parts for aerospace, defense, and electronic applications where current FDM polymers such as PEEK, PEI, or PPS fail to deliver combined mechanical and environmental stability.

Speaker Background

Dr. Mike Zimmerman is the Founder of four startups and has been a Professor at Tufts University for more than 30 years, teaching materials science and providing students opportunities for thesis/research work at his companies. He is also a Visiting Professor at Imperial College in London. Mike has a BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania.

As a company Founder, CTO, CEO, and Professor of the Practice, Mike is a materials scientist whose career has been developing unique materials and processes to enable innovative new products in areas such as energy storage, semiconductor packaging, thin films, and many structural components. He spent time at two of the most innovative large product companies. At Bell Laboratories his role was to develop new materials and process for semiconductor packaging and materials for the original key technologies for fiber to the home. For his technical contributions he rose to the level of “Consulting Member of Technical Staff” which is reserved for the top 1% of the technical community. After Bell Labs, Mike worked as Scientific Director at St Gobain for North America, where he was responsible for long range research and relationships with universities.

Mike is the Founder of previous startups Ionic Materials, Quantum Leap Packaging (QKP) and a spinoff iQLP; the latter two dealt with new LCPs for semiconductor packaging and as films for 5G antennae and radar systems. Most recently, Mike founded Z-Polymers, which is developing next generation “super-polymers” targeted to replace carbon fibers and various metals such as steel, aluminum, and magnesium. Potential applications include fuel cells for hydrogen economy, tenacious fibers for various woven structures, and new manufacturing advances using 3D printing.

Registration deadline: Monday, November 3, 1:00 PM.

Registration may close earlier than the nominal deadline if capacity is reached.

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Webinar Timing: 5:00 PM.

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macro2nano@verizon.net

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