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Researchers from Zhejiang University, China, have developed a new method of 3D printing electronic circuits using liquid metal microgels. The novel approach involves encapsulating liquid metal microdroplets (specifically gallium) in alginate-based microgel shells to create a 3D printable and recyclable liquid metal microgel (LMM) ink. According to the team, the LMM ink solves many of the processability issues associated with raw liquid metals, enabling the printing of flexible electronics onto a wide variety of surfaces. The Zhejiang researchers have already used their low-cost formulation to 3D print a near-field communication (NFC) tag onto a T-shirt, paving the way for smart e-clothing. A T-shirt with an NFC tag 3D printed on the front. Photo via Zhejiang University. Working with liquid metals You may have heard the term ‘liquid metal’ before – it’s used to describe metals that have melting points around room temperature, meaning they tend to come in a liquid…    read more 

Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have received a $659,970 grant from the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Army Research Office to improve the reliability of metal 3D printing processes. Using computational designs, the project is seeking to improve the US military’s capabilities to produce parts using additive manufacturing for critical machinery, including its aircraft.  “One of the challenges of metal AM is the difficulty of knowing with 100 percent certainty what the mechanical properties (such as stiffness and strength) are in the printed components,” said David Restrepo, Assistant Professor in UTSA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “It is also challenging to predict or reduce the dimensional variability of the components when compared with the design specifications. “These challenges mean that printed parts currently cannot be certified to use in critical components – those that, if a failure occurs, may compromise human lives.” UTSA researchers Arturo Montoya,…    read more