Metallic Architectures from 3D‐Printed Powder‐Based Liquid Inks

A new method for complex metallic architecture fabrication is presented, through synthesis and 3D‐printing of a new class of 3D‐inks into green‐body structures followed by thermochemical transformation into sintered metallic counterparts. Small and large volumes of metal‐oxide, metal, and metal compound 3D‐printable inks are synthesized through simple mixing of solvent, powder, and the biomedical elastomer, polylactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA). These inks can be 3D‐printed under ambient conditions via simple extrusion at speeds upwards of 150 mm s–1 into millimeter‐ and centimeter‐scale thin, thick, high aspect ratio, hollow and enclosed, and multi‐material architectures. The resulting 3D‐printed green‐bodies can be handled immediately, are remarkably robust, and may be further manipulated prior to metallic transformation. Green‐bodies are transformed into metallic counterparts without warping or cracking through reduction and sintering in a H2 atmosphere at elevated temperatures. It is shown that primary metal and binary alloy structures can be created from inks comprised of single and mixed oxide powders, and the versatility of the process is illustrated through its extension to more than two dozen additional metal‐based materials. A potential application of this new system is briefly demonstrated through cyclic reduction and oxidation of 3D‐printed iron oxide constructs, which remain intact through numerous redox cycles.

[1]  Alexandra L. Rutz,et al.  Three-dimensional printing of high-content graphene scaffolds for electronic and biomedical applications. , 2015, ACS nano.

[2]  H. Asgharzadeh,et al.  Production of high porosity Zn foams by powder metallurgy method , 2015 .

[3]  D. Dunand,et al.  Microstructure of Fe2O3 scaffolds created by freeze-casting and sintering , 2015 .

[4]  J. Lewis,et al.  3D‐Printing of Lightweight Cellular Composites , 2014, Advanced materials.

[5]  J. Torralba,et al.  Hacia las altas prestaciones en Pulvimetalurgia , 2014 .

[6]  V. L. Barrio,et al.  Natural and synthetic iron oxides for hydrogen storage and purification , 2013, Journal of Materials Science.

[7]  John J. Vericella,et al.  High‐Throughput Printing via Microvascular Multinozzle Arrays , 2013, Advanced materials.

[8]  R. Liu,et al.  The study on the microwave sintering of tungsten at relatively low temperature , 2012 .

[9]  Jing Liu,et al.  Direct Writing of Flexible Electronics through Room Temperature Liquid Metal Ink , 2012, PloS one.

[10]  D. Dunand,et al.  Preparation and Characterization of Directionally Freeze-cast Copper Foams , 2012 .

[11]  R. Poprawe,et al.  Laser additive manufacturing of metallic components: materials, processes and mechanisms , 2012 .

[12]  J. Cochran,et al.  The Gas Carburization of Linear Cellular Alloys as a Novel Alloy Development Tool , 2012, Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A.

[13]  Christopher D. Haines,et al.  Sintering of tungsten powder with and without tungsten carbide additive by field assisted sintering technology , 2012 .

[14]  N. Thadhani,et al.  High-strain-rate behavior of maraging steel linear cellular alloys: Mechanical deformations , 2012 .

[15]  J. Lewis,et al.  Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Reticulated Titanium Scrolls , 2011 .

[16]  John B. Goodenough,et al.  A novel solid oxide redox flow battery for grid energy storage , 2011 .

[17]  Christopher B. Williams,et al.  Additive manufacturing of metallic cellular materials via three-dimensional printing , 2011 .

[18]  T. Ebel,et al.  Sintering of Magnesium , 2010 .

[19]  Daisuke Shoji,et al.  Printed Origami Structures , 2010, Advanced materials.

[20]  L. Murr,et al.  Next-generation biomedical implants using additive manufacturing of complex, cellular and functional mesh arrays , 2010, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[21]  D. Dunand,et al.  Giant magnetic-field-induced strains in polycrystalline Ni-Mn-Ga foams. , 2009, Nature materials.

[22]  Q. Cai,et al.  Conceptual design and modelling of the Steam-Iron process and fuel cell integrated system , 2009 .

[23]  David L. Kaplan,et al.  Biocompatible Silk Printed Optical Waveguides , 2009 .

[24]  J. Lewis,et al.  Biocompatible Silk Printed Optical Waveguides , 2009 .

[25]  M. Gupta,et al.  Effects of sintering and its type on microstructural and tensile response of pure tin , 2009 .

[26]  R. Misra,et al.  Biomaterials , 2008 .

[27]  Randall M. German,et al.  An overview of dynamic compaction in powder metallurgy , 2008 .

[28]  Y. Carvalho,et al.  Porous titanium scaffolds produced by powder metallurgy for biomedical applications , 2008 .

[29]  D. Agrawal,et al.  Sintering of molybdenum metal powder using microwave energy , 2008 .

[30]  Diego Mantovani,et al.  Iron–manganese: New class of metallic degradable biomaterials prepared by powder metallurgy , 2008 .

[31]  Colin Pritchard,et al.  A review of the sponge iron process for the storage and transmission of remotely generated marine energy , 2007 .

[32]  Viktor Hacker,et al.  Investigations of cycle behaviour of the contact mass in the RESC process for hydrogen production , 2006 .

[33]  K. Saitou Microwave sintering of iron, cobalt, nickel, copper and stainless steel powders , 2006 .

[34]  Robert F. Shepherd,et al.  Biomimetic silicification of 3D polyamine-rich scaffolds assembled by direct ink writing. , 2006, Soft matter.

[35]  Bin Jiang,et al.  A novel method for making open cell aluminum foams by powder sintering process , 2005 .

[36]  G. S. Upadhyaya Powder metallurgical processing and metal purity: A case for capacitor grade sintered tantalum , 2005 .

[37]  Kiyoshi Otsuka,et al.  Hydrogen storage and production by redox of iron oxide for polymer electrolyte fuel cell vehicles , 2003 .

[38]  G. Schaffer,et al.  The influence of the atmosphere on the sintering of aluminum , 2002 .

[39]  John Banhart,et al.  On the Road Again: Metal Foams Find Favor , 2002 .

[40]  R. A. Jain,et al.  The manufacturing techniques of various drug loaded biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) devices. , 2000, Biomaterials.

[41]  Andrea J. Liu,et al.  Nonlinear dynamics: Jamming is not just cool any more , 1998, Nature.

[42]  J. Bouchaud,et al.  Jamming, Force Chains, and Fragile Matter , 1998, cond-mat/9803197.

[43]  S. Fukase,et al.  Residual oil cracking with generation of hydrogen: deactivation of iron oxide catalyst in the steam-iron reaction , 1993 .

[44]  T. Devine,et al.  Cast vs. wrought cobalt-chromium surgical implant alloys. , 1975, Journal of biomedical materials research.

[45]  I. M. Fedorchenko,et al.  The sinterability of chromium powder , 1965 .

[46]  S. Wereley,et al.  soft matter , 2019, Science.

[47]  Valentina Colla,et al.  Building components for an outpost on the Lunar soil by means of a novel 3D printing technology , 2014 .

[48]  Xuan Zhao,et al.  Cyclic Durability of a Solid Oxide Fe-Air Redox Battery Operated at 650°C , 2013 .

[49]  Yunhui Gong,et al.  Performance of Solid Oxide Iron-Air Battery Operated at 550°C , 2013 .

[50]  D. Dunand,et al.  Directionally freeze-cast titanium foam with aligned, elongated pores , 2008 .

[51]  E. Lorente,et al.  Kinetic study of the redox process for separating and storing hydrogen : Oxidation stage and ageing of solid , 2008 .

[52]  N. Ziats,et al.  In vitro and in vivo interactions of cells with biomaterials. , 1988, Biomaterials.

[53]  H. Demars,et al.  PREPARATION OF ZIRCONIUM-COPPER AND ZIRCONIUM-COPPER-MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS BY SINTERING THE HYDRIDE POWDERS* , 1967 .

[54]  October I Physical Review Letters , 2022 .