Dr. Kunal Kate, Associate Professor at UT San Antonio will present a seminar titled "From Filled Polymers to Functional Parts: Understanding Material Processing - Structure Interactions Across Metals, Ceramics, and Composites via 3D Printing" to the faculty and students at Discovery Park.

Abstract

In filled polymer systems, understanding how material processing is affected by polymer type, filler chemistry, and filler concentration is essential to manufacturing functional materials. Additionally, how polymer-filler interactions and manufacturing methods connect can help transfer processing insights across metals, ceramics, and composites. This talk explores that connection through highly filled polymer systems with metal powders in thermoplastic binders, ceramic particles in photocurable resins, and reinforcing fillers in engineering polymers, using 3D printing as a platform that accelerates the cycle from formulation to functional part. We begin in metals, where sinter-based material extrusion of copper maps the complete processing chain, involving powder packing, binder formulation, feedstock rheology, debinding, and sintering, to achieve 98% relative density and full electrical conductivity, and transfer that into designing lattice-based heat sinks for thermal management. This processing framework extends to recycled aluminum from astronaut food packaging in partnership with NASA, and to Digital Light Processing (DLP) printed zirconia, where controlled ceramic slurry processing and sintering, along with functionally graded architectures, can target applications like interference screws that mimic the bone-ligament interface for ACL reconstruction. The knowledge gained from highly filled polymers is then translated into polymer composites, where filler types and their surface chemistry introduce a new layer of complexity by simultaneously altering processing and functional response. Shape memory polymer composites reinforced with carbon fiber and graphene become a platform for engineering tunable actuation and strain sensing, while natural fiber composites derived from agricultural residues like soy hulls demonstrate a waste-to-value-added pathway through fiber surface engineering and compounding. This thread extends to plant-based polymer systems, where epoxidized soybean oil and soy polyurethane resins replace petroleum-based matrices in applications ranging from sustainable terrazzo to mixed matrix manufacturing of dissimilar polymer systems with spatial property gradients. Moreover, industrial case studies show how students apply these techniques with industry partners, translating laboratory processing science into manufacturing practice. This work shows that a common understanding of filled polymer processing science can be used to meet needs in aerospace thermal management, biomedical implants, in-space manufacturing, and sustainable construction materials.

Bio

Dr. Kunal Kate is Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Industrial Engineering. He began his faculty appointment in Fall 2025. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from Oregon State University and was previously a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Louisville, where he also directed a $2 million U.S. Department of Commerce-funded center for advanced manufacturing that connected academic research with industry challenges, helping small and medium manufacturers adopt 3D printing and advanced manufacturing technologies. Dr. Kate is the director of the Materials Innovation for Next-Gen Technology (MINT) Laboratory and serves as an Associate Editor of Progress in Additive Manufacturing. His research focuses on powder-polymer processing, 3D printing, rheology, and sintering of metals, ceramics, and composites, with a specific focus on structure-property relationships in functionally graded materials and smart polymer composites. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers, secured over $10+ million in research funding through partnerships with NASA, DOD, USDA, NSF, and various industries, and was recognized with the 2023 Trailblazer Award for promoting innovation and translational research.