CAREER: Charge-Programmed Additive Microfabrication Process for Multi-Materials and Multi-Functionalities

增材制造被广泛用于从数字计算机模型中构建由金属、塑料或陶瓷制成的复杂3D物体。然而，目前很难在3d打印部件中结合不同的材料来创建具有多种功能的复杂设备。该学院早期职业发展（Career）奖支持通过开展多材料增材制造工艺开发的基础研究来解决这一需求的研究。该研究将提供支持一种新的制造工艺所需的知识，该工艺可以在紧凑的三维布局中以高精度和制造速度快速塑造不同的结构，导电和功能材料。在设计布局中，由电子和结构材料组合而成的部件有助于开发能源、医疗保健、机器人、电子、航空航天和汽车行业的新材料和设备；因此，快速打印这些部件的新制造知识可以催化具有巨大经济和社会效益的未来产品的新技术和能力。这项研究涉及多个学科，包括制造、材料科学、固体和流体力学以及电动力学。该项目通过为K-12和社区大学学生以及视力受损的学生创建基于3D打印的互动学习活动，扩大了STEM的参与。它还将开发一门基于增材制造的跨学科课程，以培训下一代科学家、工程领袖和企业家，他们将通过先进制造解决全球挑战。当前旨在创建多功能材料的增材制造方法缺乏在复杂的3D布局中快速轻松地交换，图案和沉积多种材料（包括介电，结构，导电和功能材料）的能力。这种限制源于现有3D打印方法在工具路径、顺序写入和沉积动力学方面的固有限制。本研究将通过创建连续动态材料切换界面，通过静电电荷控制多种材料，以及在非混相流体流动界面创建固化区，为改进多功能和多材料设备的3D打印提供基础和转型知识。该研究将解决与电荷编程增材微加工工艺机制相关的知识差距，这些机制支持最终零件的工艺速度、效率、分辨率、特征尺寸以及材料特性和结构。研究包括分析建模、数值模拟和实验研究，以阐明流体流动、动力学、催化剂和材料性质的影响。这项工作将展示多功能一体化设备的制造，以验证用于新型智能材料、机器人和通信应用的新制造方法。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Additive manufacturing is widely used to construct complex 3D objects made of metal, plastic, or ceramics from a digital computer model. However, it is presently difficult to combine different materials in a 3D-printed part to create a complex device with multiple functionalities. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports research to address this need by conducting fundamental research into the development of a multi-material additive manufacturing process. The research will provide the knowledge needed to support a new manufacturing process that can rapidly pattern different structural, conducting, and functional materials in a compact, three-dimensional layout with high precision and manufacturing speed. Parts made from combinations of electronic and structural materials in a designed layout are instrumental in the development of new materials and devices in the energy, healthcare, robotics, electronics, aerospace, and automotive industries; thus, new manufacturing knowledge to rapidly print these parts can catalyze new technologies and capabilities for future products that have large economic and societal benefits. This research crosses several disciplines, including manufacturing, materials science, solid and fluid mechanics, and electro-kinetics. This project broadens participation in STEM by creating interactive learning activities based on 3D printing for K–12 and community college students and students with vision impairments. It will also develop an interdisciplinary course based on additive manufacturing to train the next generation of scientists, engineering leaders, and entrepreneurs who will address global challenges through advanced manufacturing.Current additive manufacturing methods which aim to create multifunctional materials lack the ability to quickly and easily exchange, pattern, and deposit multiple materials (including dielectric, structural, conducting and functional materials) in a complex 3D layout. This constraint stems from the inherent limitations in toolpaths, sequential writing, and deposition kinetics in existing 3D printing methods. This research will provide the foundational and transformational knowledge needed to improve 3D printing of multifunctional and multi-material devices by creating a continuous dynamic material-switching interface, controlling multiple materials with electrostatic charges, and creating a curing zone at the interface of immiscible fluid flows. The research will address the knowledge gap related to the mechanisms of the charge-programmed additive microfabrication process that underpin process speed, efficiency, resolution, feature sizes, and material properties and structures of the final parts. The research encompasses analytical modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental studies to elucidate the effects of fluid flow, kinetics, catalysts, and material properties. The effort will demonstrate the fabrication of multifunctional all-in-one devices to validate the new manufacturing approach for use in novel smart materials, robotics and communication applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.