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North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers have created a conductive gel that can be used to 3D-print solid metal objects at room temperature.
To create the metallic gel, the researchers began with a solution of copper particles suspended in water. Liquid metal particles were then mixed in, allowing them to connect to the copper particles, making a network of electrical pathways.
The resulting printed parts are highly conductive and consist of up to 97.5% metal, all without the need for sintering, which is usually required to make metallic ink conductive.
“It’s obviously not as conductive as conventional copper wire, but it’s impossible to 3D-print copper at room temperature,” says Michael Dickey, an engineering professor at NC State.
The gel could also expand 4D printing opportunities, a process that consists of 3D-printed objects changing shape in response to external stimuli. The researchers found that if heat is applied to a printed object as it dries, water removal accelerates, creating stress that causes it to change shape.
The researchers’ work “should open up new opportunities for electronic, thermal, and composite devices,” the study says, which was published in the journal Matter in July 2023.