Research Summaries

Back Novel Low Temperature Chemical Process for Metal AM

Fiscal Year 2018
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department Naval Research Program
Investigator(s) Phillips, Jonathan
Sponsor NPS Naval Research Program (Navy)
Summary Goal: Demonstrate an alternative/novel metal additive manufacturing (M-AM) approach based on a demonstrated ‘low temperature’ chemical method for making metal films, that is simpler, and less costly than current methods. Presently complex equipment such as high temperature (~1500 C) generating, high energy lasers are part of M-AM. The precursor metal particle are 20 + micron size range, limiting the ultimate precision. Our team at NPS recently demonstrated a unique (patent pending) metal film technology postulated to be applicable to M-AM, that does not require either lasers or large metal particles. There are three simple steps: i) Create a paste by physically mixing a metal precursor species (e.g. NiCl or NiO) and solid reductant (e.g. urea). ii) Apply paste in desired pattern. iii) Briefly (ca 100 seconds) heat in an inert (e.g. N2) environment. The chemical composition of the metal precursors, the ratio of the urea to metal, the heating temperature and the deposition process dramatically impact final film morphology and chemical composition. Preliminary work creating Ni films on iron foils from pastes composed of urea/metal precursor species suggests there is a high likelihood of success. Remarkably uniform 1 micron thick Ni films were produced by heating films in which NiCl was the metal precursor, whereas far thicker, and less uniform films were formed with NiO. Thus, the program will be designed to explore i) the impact of various parameters on the structure and chemistry of metal thin films, ii) the adherence of the film to the original deposition pattern. The final effort will be to demonstrate high fidelity to the pattern, high quality (i.e. defect free, high strength) multiple layer structures can be produced, a necessary first step in developing a new M-AM technology. Time permitting, steps toward accommodating the technology to current generation plastic AM devices, e.g. optimizing paste flow properties, will be initiated.
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Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal