Inkjet-Printed Thermite Deposits Energetic Materials Safely
January 9, 2018 | Purdue UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Researchers have developed a method to deposit tiny amounts of energetic materials (explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics) using the same technology as an inkjet printer.
This research, which combines Purdue expertise in both energetic materials and additive manufacturing, allows energetic materials to be deposited with unprecedented levels of precision and safety.
“Energetic materials is a fairly understood field, and so is additive manufacturing,” said Allison Murray, a doctoral candidate in Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering, who built the custom inkjet printer. “What’s unique about this project is the intersection of those two fields and being able to safely deposit energetic materials with this level of precision.”
Many micromechanical systems incorporate energetic materials in their operation. For example, an automotive airbag deploys using a small amount of solid propellant. But as devices get smaller, the need for micro-level energetics becomes more critical.
“Our solution is to combine two components as we’re printing them,” said Jeff Rhoads, professor of mechanical engineering, and principal investigator on the project. “We can have a fuel and an oxidizer in two separate suspensions, which are largely inert. Then, with this custom inkjet printer, we can deposit the two in a specific overlapping pattern, combining them on a substrate to form nanothermite.”
“We’re talking about picoliters of material,” Murray said. “It was a challenge to get the right droplet volume and the right pattern.”
The other challenge: designing a machine that could deposit these droplets accurately. Murray’s machine holds the nozzle stationary and moves a stage below it to form whatever shape is required. “The stage can move with a 0.1 micron precision, which is basically a thousandth the width of a human hair,” she said.
The resulting nanothermite reacts just as quickly and powerfully as thermites applied in traditional ways.
“It burns at 2,500 Kelvin [over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit],” Murray said. “It generates a lot of thrust, a lot of heat, and makes a nice loud shockwave.”
The project, which has been published in the Journal of Applied Physics, has a team of 10 researchers and four faculty members from varying disciplines in mechanical engineering. Rhoads studies micro-electromechanical systems; George Chiu is an expert in inkjet printing; and Emre Gunduz and Steve Son work at Zucrow Labs, studying energetic materials like explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.
“It’s a defining feature of Purdue that professors from such different backgrounds can work together on a project like this,” Rhoads said. “We can combine all of our experiences to collaborate on technologies that weren’t previously realizable.”
Suggested Items
LQDX Divests Aluminum Soldering Business - Mina™ - to Taiyo America Inc.
05/02/2024 | PRNewswireLQDX, formerly known as Averatek Corp., developer of high-performance materials for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, today announced that it has divested its aluminum soldering business – known as MinaTM – to Taiyo America Inc., a global market leader in advanced electronic materials.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Pb-Free Solder for Die-Attach in Discrete Power Applications
04/30/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Product Manager – Semiconductor Dean Payne will present at the Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics conference, hosted by IMAPS, held May 8-9 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Adhesive Materials and Equipment Update with Dymax
05/01/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOVirginia Hogan, global business development manager at Dymax, discusses adhesive materials, dispensing and curing equipment, a new, high-reliability conformal coating, and various materials and dispensing methods.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Sustainability in the Industry
04/26/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGuest Editor Henry Crandall and Chris Nash of Indium Corporation discuss the company's 90th anniversary and its focus on sustainability. They focus on the benefits of sustainable materials, their compatibility, and value propositions. The conversation also highlights how Durafuse LT technology's role in reducing reflow temperatures is leading to significant cost and energy savings. Nash also touches on downstream sustainability efforts such as using recycled materials for packaging.
SMC Korea 2024 to Highlight Semiconductor Materials Trends and Innovations on Industry’s Path to $1 Trillion
04/24/2024 | SEMIWith Korea a major consumer of semiconductor materials and advanced materials a key driver of innovation on the industry’s path to $1 trillion, industry leaders and experts will gather at SMC (Strategic Materials Conference) Korea 2024 on May 29 at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to provide insights into the latest materials developments and trends. Registration is open.