Realizing 3-D Printing and Patterning of Metals at Room Temperature

该奖项支持在室温或接近室温下用于金属3D打印的导电油墨的加工-结构-性能关系的基础研究。这项工作的基础是最近的发现和证明，液态金属可以打印成独立的结构，由表面氧化物机械稳定。这项研究将集中在新的导电油墨上，这种油墨可以在适当的温度下分配，但在结构打印后会固化成固体，机械上坚固的金属结构。研究小组将研究这些油墨的配方、分配和固化，使用许多表征技术来阐明固化过程。研究结果将提供必要的知识和理解，以满足开发用于增材制造（3D打印）的金属部件的关键需求。增材制造使用户能够根据需要直接设计、制作原型和打印对象。它被认为是奥巴马总统支持的一项变革性技术，有助于保持美国在制造业的竞争力。虽然金属是电子、光学和结构材料的重要材料，但目前3D打印金属的技术昂贵且依赖于高温。这项研究将首次实现在室温或接近室温下的金属3D打印。除了支持一名研究生外，该项目还将涉及从北卡罗来纳州立大学（NC State）不同群体的工程专业学生中招募的本科生研究人员。研究团队将与北卡罗来纳州亨特图书馆和北卡罗来纳州增材制造和物流实验室合作，为一系列综合推广活动做出贡献，旨在让更广泛的受众了解3D打印的科学和技术。

This award supports fundamental research on processing-structure-property relationships of conductive inks for 3D printing of metals at or near room temperature. The basis for this work is the recent discovery and demonstration that liquid metals can be printed into free-standing structures that are stabilized mechanically by a surface oxide. The research will focus on new conductive inks that can be dispensed at modest temperatures but solidify into solid, mechanically robust metallic structures after the structures are printed. The research team will study the formulation, dispensing, and solidification of these inks using a number of characterization techniques to elucidate the solidification process. The research results will provide the knowledge and understanding necessary to meet a critical need to develop metallic components for additive manufacturing (3D printing). Additive manufacturing enables users to directly design, prototype, and print objects on demand. It is considered a transformative technology that is championed by President Obama to help keep America competitive in the manufacturing sector. Although metals are important materials for electronics, optics, and structural materials, current technologies to 3D print metals are expensive and rely on high temperatures. The research will enable for the first time 3D printing of metals at or near room temperature. In addition to supporting a graduate student, the project will involve undergraduate researchers recruited from a diverse group of engineering students at North Carolina State (NC State). The research team will partner with the NC State Hunt Library and the NC State Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics to contribute to a number of integrated outreach activities designed to expose a broader audience to the science and technology of 3D printing.