A Tech Researcher named Parisa Pour Shahid Saeed Abadi has set the 3D Printing world on fire with a research paper that shows early development of 3D printing using polymer nanocomposites which can also serve as electric currents, opening up the door to potential near-future printing of whole electric devices which might someday include a smart phone.
We’re a long way from getting to that point, but this discovery could potentially be a significant step towards that reality. Whatever methodologies these reseachers utilized, whatever resources they required, open source researchers are most likely, or should be, doing the same to assure the discoveries of today don’t become the shackles of tomorrow in the hands of the monopolistic few corporations that have the capacity, at this moment, to develop such tech that might be one day used in homes, most likely as a subscription service on machines that the resident user doesn’t actually own.
Imagine a world where a small nation can fend off the mightiest nation’s missiles and planes with wave upon wave of drones delivered through 3D Nano-Ink Printing. Holding or taking land will require an army of 3D printers, so if you wish to remain free, you best hope 3D printers become an open source part of our life in the very near future.
3D Nano-Inks Push Industry Boundaries – Eurasia Review – Eurasia Review
From www.eurasiareview.com
2021-09-27 00:09:25
Excerpt:
….3D printing using plastic, metal or something else entirely isn’t new. What Tech researchers have done differently is use polymer nanocomposites (made of epoxy, carbon nanotubes and nano-clay) and a printing process that doesn’t sacrifice functionality. The junction of material type and morphology — size, shape, structure — in polymer nanocomposite inks is the ultimate in form meeting function.
The exploration of process, morphology and properties of polymeric inks is the subject of an article recently published in the journal Additive Manufacturing by Parisa Pour Shahid Saeed Abadi, an engineer who explores the interface of materials, mechanics and medicine, and graduate student Masoud Kasraie.
Abadi and Kasraie point out that before researchers can sprint off to the races using polymeric inks, they must first learn to walk. The first step is digging into the intersection of the macro scale (how our eyes see a material performing) and the nano scale (what we can’t see, but know is occurring).
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The conductivity of Abadi and Kasraie’s nanomaterial ink is an exceptionally handy trait that gives the printed epoxy the potential to double as electrical wiring — whether in a circuit board, an airplane’s wing or in 3D-printed actuators for guiding catheters in blood vessels. Another useful trait of the nanocomposite polymer ink is its strength.
“In comparison with steel and aluminum, we see 80% weight reduction with epoxy composite with same strength,” Kasraie said.
Finally, in the medical field and aerospace and electronics industries, where defects and damage can spell big trouble, the nanocomposites serve a safety function.
