Developing a plasma process for fabrication of nano-engineered powders suitable for 3D printing of jewellery

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Jewellery manufacturing requires the use of expensive raw materials. Techniques, comprising predominantly of investment casting, typically employed in jewellery fabrication lead to significant waste and scrap, requiring recycling and refining to minimise the loss of raw material. The recycling of precious metals involves the use of stringent chemicals, which themselves require appropriate treatment prior to disposal, while refining may adversely affect purity and product quality. Our Ontario-based industrial partner, Platinum Unlimited, has identified that additive manufacturing techniques (3D printing) applied to jewellery manufacturing offers novel opportunities: reduction of waste and scrap material; the realisation of intricate, complex shapes not necessarily possible through current methods; increased flexibility in design; addressing the issue of porosity and metal fatigue.