MSGID: 1:317/3 64a64366   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Researchers create highly conductive metallic gel for 3D printing    
      
     Date:   
         July 5, 2023   
     Source:   
         North Carolina State University   
     Summary:   
         Researchers have developed a metallic gel that is highly   
         electrically conductive and can be used to print three-dimensional   
         (3D) solid objects at room temperature.   
      
      
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   Researchers have developed a metallic gel that is highly electrically   
   conductive and can be used to print three-dimensional (3D) solid objects   
   at room temperature.   
      
   "3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing, but we're not aware of   
   previous technologies that allowed you to print 3D metal objects at room   
   temperature in a single step," says Michael Dickey, co-corresponding   
   author of a paper on the work and the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Professor   
   of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at North Carolina State   
   University. "This opens the door to manufacturing a wide range of   
   electronic components and devices."  To create the metallic gel, the   
   researchers start with a solution of micron- scale copper particles   
   suspended in water. The researchers then add a small amount of an   
   indium-gallium alloy that is liquid metal at room temperature. The   
   resulting mixture is then stirred together.   
      
   As the mixture is stirred, the liquid metal and copper particles   
   essentially stick to each other, forming a metallic gel "network" within   
   the aqueous solution.   
      
   "This gel-like consistency is important, because it means you have a   
   fairly uniform distribution of copper particles throughout the material,"   
   Dickey says.   
      
   "This does two things. First, it means the network of particles connect to   
   form electrical pathways. And second, it means that the copper particles   
   aren't settling out of solution and clogging the printer."  The resulting   
   gel can be printed using a conventional 3D printing nozzle and retains   
   its shape when printed. And, when allowed to dry at room temperature,   
   the resulting 3D object becomes even more solid while retaining its shape.   
      
   However, if users decide to apply heat to the printed object while it   
   is drying, some interesting things can happen.   
      
   The researchers found that the alignment of the particles influences how   
   the material dries. For example, if you printed a cylindrical object,   
   the sides would contract more than the top and bottom as it dries. If   
   something is drying at room temperature, the process is sufficiently   
   slow that it doesn't create structural change in the object. However,   
   if you apply heat -- for example, put it under a heat lamp at 80 degrees   
   Celsius -- the rapid drying can cause structural deformation. Because   
   this deformation is predictable, that means you can make a printed object   
   change shape after it is printed by controlling the pattern of the printed   
   object and the amount of heat the object is exposed to while drying.   
      
   "Ultimately, this sort of four-dimensional printing -- the traditional   
   three dimensions, plus time -- is one more tool that can be used to   
   create structures with the desired dimensions," Dickey says. "But what   
   we find most exciting about this material is its conductivity.   
      
   "Because the printed objects end up being as much as 97.5% metal, they are   
   highly conductive. It's obviously not as conductive as conventional copper   
   wire, but it's impossible to 3D print copper wire at room temperature. And   
   what we've developed is far more conductive than anything else that can   
   be printed.   
      
   We're pretty excited about the applications here.   
      
   "We're open to working with industry partners to explore potential   
   applications, and are always happy to talk with potential collaborators   
   about future directions for research," Dickey says.   
      
   The work was done with support from the National Natural Science   
   Foundation of China, under grant number 52203101; and from the China   
   Scholarship Council, under grant number 201906250075.   
      
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   Materials provided by North_Carolina_State_University. Original written   
   by Matt Shipman. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. Ruizhe Xing, Jiayi Yang, Dongguang Zhang, Wei Gong, Taylor   
      V. Neumann,   
         Meixiang Wang, Renliang Huang, Jie Kong, Wei Qi, Michael D. Dickey.   
      
         Metallic gels for conductive 3D and 4D printing. Matter, 2023; 6   
         (7): 2248 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2023.06.015   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705115147.htm   
      
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