Researchers from a renowned institution have recently introduced an innovative manufacturing technique for producing metal components at the nano-scale. This cutting-edge method, developed in a laboratory, enables the printing of miniature metal parts, measuring approximately 150 nanometers-about a thousand times smaller than the previous capability. These components exhibit three to five times the strength of similarly sized structures with more ordered atomic arrangements.
The new process begins with the preparation of a photosensitive "mixture" composed of a water-based gel-a polymer with the ability to absorb several times its weight in water. By selectively curing this mixture using lasers, a three-dimensional scaffold is created, mirroring the desired shape of the metal object. In this study, the objects took the form of an array of tiny columns and nano-scale lattice structures.
Subsequently, a portion of the water-based gel is injected into a water solution containing nickel ions. Once the components are saturated with metal ions, they undergo a thermal treatment process until the water-based gel is completely burned away, leaving the parts with their original shape but now composed entirely of oxidized metal ions. Through a chemical process, the oxygen atoms are removed from the parts, converting the metal oxide back into its metallic form.
This significant accomplishment was conducted in the laboratory of a distinguished expert in the fields of materials science, mechanics, and biomedical engineering. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, with support from the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at the Fletcher Jones Foundation.
