Enhanced Particle Deposition For Additive Manufacturing
ID U-8212
Category Mechanical, Civil, & Environmental
Subcategory
Researchers
Brief Summary
Diffusiophoresis-enhanced particle deposition for additive manufacturing
Problem Statement
The ability to govern particle assembly in an evaporative-driven additive manufacturing (AM) can realize multi-scale features fundamental to creating printed electronics. However, existing techniques remain challenging and often require templates or the use of contaminating solutes for ink composition control.
Technology Description
This invention is a method to introduce spontaneous phoretic particle motion that can be leveraged to explore the control of particle deposition in 3D-printed colloids without introducing contaminating solutes. Implementing the mechanism of diffusiophoresis, the spontaneous phoretic motion of colloidal particles due to local solute concentration gradients and consists of chemiphoretic and electrophoretic contributions. Chemiphoresis is the motion of a particle due to the osmotic pressure gradient along the particle's surface, and electrophoresis occurs with electrolyte solutes when the cations and anions have different diffusivities. In an electrolyte gradient, a local electric field is generated that forms a Debye layer around the particle. The Debye layer gets accelerated by the electric field, resulting in the particle's motion. The invention leverages this understanding of diffusiophoresis and implements it on sessile droplet evaporation of colloidal particle deposits. The invention demonstrates the use of non-contaminating solutes to generate spontaneous phoretic motion of colloidal particles by inducing local solute concentration gradients.
Benefit
- Enables AM of different designs through increased process flexibility and adaptability especially when used in printed electronics fabrication methods.
- Eliminates the need for complex control mechanisms and altering of solute compositions present in conventional approaches.
- Maximizes the ability to use different templates while removing the need for contaminating solutes, which reduces complexity, costs, and timeframes.
- Ensures film uniformity by reducing solvents during processing.
Contact Info
Dean Gallagher
(801) 585-0396
dean.gallagher@utah.edu