Additive Manufacturing Compositions for Conductive Articles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D printing methods for fabricating conductive articles often result in limited conductivity due to the incorporation of conductive elements, leading to unstable composite building materials with poor rheological properties, causing printing issues such as clogged printheads and poor resolution.
Innovation Solution
The use of a 3D printing composition comprising a 3D printable material and a metal precursor, such as a metal salt or particle, where the metal precursor is activated and plated to achieve high conductivity, allowing for the fabrication of conductive articles with conductivity of at least 1E6 Siemens per meter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductive elements (metal particles, conductive polymers, or carbon based materials) are incorporated into building materials to achieve bulk metal conductivity, then conductivity is improved, but the composite building materials become unstable and exhibit poor rheological properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating metal precursors (such as metal salts or organometallic compounds) into the 3D printable material before printing. These precursors are then activated after printing through chemical reduction or thermal treatment to form conductive metal structures. This approach allows the building material to remain stable during printing while achieving high conductivity after activation, resolving the contradiction between stability and conductivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical state of the conductive component from metallic particles to metal precursors. This parameter change allows the material to maintain good rheological properties and stability during printing, while subsequent activation transforms the precursors into highly conductive metal structures, thus achieving both stability and high conductivity.
2Reliability
If high concentration of conductive elements is used to achieve bulk metal conductivity, then conductivity is improved, but printing issues such as clogged printheads and poor resolution occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the form of conductive elements from metallic particles to soluble or dispersible metal precursors. This allows for uniform distribution at lower concentrations without aggregation, enabling high printing resolution and preventing clogged printheads. The high conductivity is achieved after activation when the precursors transform into metal structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses metal precursors as intermediaries between the printable material and the final conductive structure. These intermediaries can be uniformly distributed in the building material at low concentrations, enabling precise printing. After printing, the intermediaries are activated to form the conductive metal pathways, thus achieving both high resolution and high conductivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional composite building materials with conductive elements are used, then conductive structures can be fabricated, but the process exhibits poor reproducibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical form of conductive elements to metal precursors that can be uniformly incorporated into the building material. This uniform incorporation, combined with controlled activation processes, ensures consistent and reproducible fabrication of conductive structures across different printing batches and conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary incorporation of metal precursors into the building material during material preparation, ensuring uniform distribution before printing. This preliminary action, combined with post-printing activation, creates a reproducible two-stage process that reliably produces conductive structures with consistent properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of conductive articles with conductivity comparable to bulk metals, reducing printing issues and improving the stability and reproducibility of the 3D printing process.
Implementation Method 1
the metal precursor is activated and plated to achieve high conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
Additive manufacturing compositions and methods for fabricating a conductive article with the same are provided. The additive manufacturing composition may include a 3D printable material and a metal precursor disposed in the 3D printable material. The metal precursor may include a metal salt, a metal particle, or combinations thereof. The method may include forming a first layer of the article on a substrate, where the first layer includes the additive manufacturing composition, forming a second layer of the article adjacent the first layer, and binding the first layer with the second layer to fabricate the article. The method may also include plating a metal on at least a portion of the article to fabricate the conductive article.