Collaborative Research: Inkjet Printing Framework by Droplet Impact-induced Ink Release from Liquid Crystal Receiving Substrate

合作研究：通过液滴冲击诱导液晶接收基板释放墨水的喷墨打印框架

• 批准号: 2227985
• 负责人: Xiaoyu Tang
• 金额: $ 26.7万
• 依托单位: Northeastern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-01 至 2026-06-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2227985&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Inkjet; Printing; Framework

Inkjet printing technology is a widely utilized manufacturing method due to its high precision and reproducibility. However, the current inkjet printing technology is restricted by the limited choices of inks and requires additional formulation steps to print composite materials, which limits its applications in industry. This grant supports fundamental research that aims to create a new inkjet printing method to encapsulate ink in a liquid crystal substrate and eventually expands to a larger range of materials. If successful, the research outcomes will enable printing of advanced materials, including organic electronics for sensors and wearable devices, and benefit healthcare and energy sectors. The outreach and education activities involve students ranging from K-12 to undergraduate levels to stimulate interests in STEM fields, which will train the next generation of manufacturing workforce and encourage the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. Traditional inkjet printing requires ink materials with low viscosity and high ejection speed for the dispensing of ink droplets. On the other hand, low viscosity leads to droplets splashing on the receiving substrate and compromising the print resolution. As a result, there are limited combinations of ink properties and operating conditions that are “printable.” Instead of dispensing the ink droplet onto conventional solid surfaces, this grant supports basic research that aims to understand the impact-induced ink release mechanism for ink chemicals embedded in a liquid crystal film. In this process, the ink is released onto the liquid crystal surface using droplet impacts to enable the inkjet printing of viscous materials. Theoretical analysis will be carried out to identify critical conditions required for the controlled release of the embedded ink in the liquid crystal film. Critical parameters that allow the design of the liquid crystal film and the control of the ink release will be identified using experiments to understand the effects of Weber number on ink release. If successful, this research will enable the printing of materials with controlled thickness and dimensions that were previously difficult or impossible to print, such as thermosetting and (semi)conducting polymers.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.

喷墨打印技术以其精度高、重现性好等优点成为一种广泛应用的制造方法。然而，目前的喷墨打印技术受到油墨选择有限的限制，并且需要额外的配方步骤来打印复合材料，这限制了其在工业上的应用。该基金支持基础研究，旨在创造一种新的喷墨打印方法，将油墨封装在液晶基板中，并最终扩展到更大范围的材料。如果研究成果取得成功，将使用于传感器和可穿戴设备的有机电子产品等先进材料的打印成为可能，并有利于医疗保健和能源领域。外联和教育活动涉及从K-12到本科水平的学生，以激发对STEM领域的兴趣，这将培养下一代制造业劳动力，并鼓励代表性不足的群体参与STEM。传统的喷墨印刷要求低粘度和高喷射速度的油墨材料来点胶墨滴。另一方面，低粘度导致液滴溅落在接收基板上，影响打印分辨率。因此，油墨特性和操作条件的有限组合是“可打印的”。与传统的固体表面上滴墨不同，这项资助支持的基础研究旨在了解嵌入在液晶膜中的油墨化学物质的冲击诱导油墨释放机制。在这个过程中，油墨通过液滴的冲击释放到液晶表面，从而实现粘性材料的喷墨打印。将进行理论分析，以确定控制释放液晶膜中嵌入油墨所需的临界条件。设计液晶膜和控制油墨释放的关键参数将通过实验确定，以了解韦伯数对油墨释放的影响。如果成功，这项研究将使以前难以或不可能打印的厚度和尺寸可控的材料，如热固性和（半）导电聚合物的打印成为可能。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。