Stian Romberg (Fed)

Stian Romberg is a postdoctoral researcher studying the structural stability of thermoset composite inks during 3D printing and curing. These inks are printed using a process called “direct ink writing,” where material is deposited into an architecture controlled by a computer numerically controlled machine. In many cases, thermoset inks do not solidify immediately after deposition, leaving them susceptible to collapse under their own weight. To address this challenge, his graduate research linked the rheological properties of thermoset composite inks – namely the yield stress and storage modulus – to the height at which these inks collapse under their own weight. His postdoctoral research is focused on using the rheo-Raman microscope to study the evolution of these properties during curing at elevated temperatures. This research helps to understand the scaling limitations of thermoset direct ink writing, provides design criteria for structurally stable inks, and motivates the use of in situ curing mechanisms to suppress collapse and reach larger scales.