Tin-Copper Conductive Ink Filament Using Sonicated Nanoparticle Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrically conductive inks for additive manufacturing, particularly for creating circuit traces, face challenges due to high resistance values and the high cost and susceptibility to oxidation of silver inks, while copper's high melting point makes it difficult to use effectively.
Innovation Solution
A conductive ink composition is developed using copper nanoparticles suspended in tin, where the copper nanoparticles are atomized and evenly dispersed in a tin bath through sonification, creating a filament with superior conductive properties and lower costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If silver is used as conductive ink material, then electrical conductivity is improved, but cost and susceptibility to oxidation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive silver with copper nanoparticles, which are significantly cheaper. While copper is more susceptible to oxidation than silver, the patent accepts this trade-off by using copper's superior cost-effectiveness and lower melting point, combining it with tin to create a composite that balances conductivity, cost, and processability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material by suspending copper nanoparticles in tin. This composite combines copper's electrical conductivity and low cost with tin's low melting point and oxidation resistance, resolving the contradiction between conductivity and ease of manufacture
2Ease of manufacture
If copper is used as conductive material, then cost is reduced, but melting point increases making it difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material by suspending copper nanoparticles in tin. This composite combines copper's electrical conductivity and low cost with tin's low melting point and oxidation resistance, resolving the contradiction between conductivity and ease of manufacture
3Reliability
If copper nanoparticles are suspended in tin, then conductivity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameters of the materials - copper is nanoparticulated and tin is melted to create a liquid suspension medium. This parameter change enables the copper nanoparticles to be evenly dispersed in the molten tin, creating a homogeneous conductive ink that can be printed, thus managing the manufacturing complexity through controlled parameter changes
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
The ink achieves a resistivity of 46.2×E−9 Ω*m to 742.5×E−9 Ω*m, offering lower costs and superior conductive properties compared to existing inks, with tin providing a low melting point and lower electrical resistance than plastics.
Implementation Method 1
The composition uses copper nanoparticles that are atomized and suspended in tin. The composition includes about 50 to about 99 wt % copper nanoparticles and about 1 to about 50 wt % tin. By creating a tin bath and using it as the medium, copper nanoparticles can be evenly dispersed within the bath through sonification
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a conductive ink composition and a manufacturing method thereof. The composition includes about 50 to about 99 wt % copper nanoparticles and about 1 to about 50 wt % tin. Copper nanoparticles are atomized and suspended in a tin bath, wherein the copper nanoparticles are evenly dispersed within the bath through sonification. The composition is cooled, extracted, and formed into a filament for use as a conductive ink. The ink has a resistivity of about 46.2×E−9 Ω*m to about 742.5×E−9 Ω*m. Once in filament form, the tin-copper mix will be viable for material extrusion, thus allowing for a lower cost, electrically conductive traces to be used in additive manufacturing.