2023-07-06 14:45:29
3D printing has revolutionized the manufacturing of many kinds of objects and parts, but printing metal objects in 3D at room temperature in a single pass has been a seemingly insurmountable challenge.
Now, they have succeeded in creating a highly electrically conductive metallic gel that can be used to 3D print solid objects at room temperature.
The achievement is the work of a team made up of, among others, Michael Dickey, from North Carolina State University in the United States, and Ruizhe Xing, from that same university and Northwest Polytechnic University in the Chinese city of Xi’ still
To make the metallic gel, the researchers start with a solution of micrometer-scale copper particles suspended in water. Next, the researchers add a small amount of an alloy of indium and gallium, which is a liquid metal at room temperature. The resulting mixture is stirred.
As the mixture is shaken, the liquid metal and copper particles adhere to each other, forming a metallic gel “net” within the aqueous solution.
This gelatinous consistency is important, because it means that there is a fairly even distribution of copper particles throughout the material. This has two effects. First, it means that the network of particles connects to form electrical pathways. Secondly, the copper particles do not settle and therefore do not clog the ducts of the printer.
A metallic figure in the shape of a spider and fully electrically conductive, which was manufactured by 3D printing and then retouched with heat, using the new conductive metallic gel. (Photo: Michael Dickey, NC State University)
The resulting gel can be printed with a conventional 3D printing nozzle and retains its shape once printed. And, when allowed to dry at room temperature, the resulting 3D object becomes even more solid and retains its shape.
Also, if additional heat is applied to it in the right way during the drying process, it is possible to cause the desired shape changes.
The revolutionary new gel opens the door to the manufacture of a wide range of electrical and electronic components and devices.
Dickey, Xing, and their colleagues discuss the technical details of their conductive gel in the academic journal Matter, under the title “Metallic Gels for Conductive 3D and 4D Printing.” (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
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