Materials will always be key to the 3D printing industry’s success, and the chemistry behind materials development will be a major growth area. The latest company to put materials chemistry to use in 3D printing is Nano Dimension Technologies. Researchers there are working on a method to cure and sinter two types of ink (conductive metal ink and insulator ink) simultaneously when printing electronic circuits. The researchers recently filed a patent for this process.

This development could reduce the number of critical systems in a printer, which could reduce printer production costs and increase printing speed.

The current standard curing and sintering approach uses a number of different systems to cure and sinter the inks. The drawback is that each system adds cost and complexity.

Nano Dimension’s innovative method uses the unique chemical structure of the inks, both of which are developed and manufactured in the company’s in-house laboratory. Nanoparticles in the ink absorb radiant energy, causing a plasmonic effect on the surface of the nanoparticle. The plasmonic waves are immediately converted into heat, which causes the fusion of silver nanoparticles due to the high surface energies at the nanoscale. This sintering process results in a final uniform metallic trace.

The photoinitiated insulating ink absorbs the radiation emitted by the 3D printer’s integrated process system and solidifies instantly. Once cured, the insulating ink demonstrates mechanical strength and high thermal resistance.