Simulation and Characterization of Nanoparticle Thermal Conductivity for a Microscale Selective Laser Sintering System

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Grose ◽  
Obehi G. Dibua ◽  
Dipankar Behera ◽  
Chee S. Foong ◽  
Michael Cullinan
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
Metal Nanoparticle ◽  
Feature Size ◽  
Cad Models ◽  
Minimum Feature Size ◽  
Geometric Arrangements ◽  
Thermal Simulations

Abstract Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies are often restricted by the minimum feature size of parts they can repeatably build. The microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS) process, which is capable of producing single micron resolution parts, addresses this issue directly. However, the unwanted dissipation of heat within the powder bed of a μ-SLS device during laser sintering is a primary source of error that limits the minimum feature size of the producible parts. A particle scale thermal model is needed to characterize the thermal properties of the nanoparticles undergoing sintering and allow for the prediction of heat affected zones (HAZ) and the improvement of final part quality. Thus, this paper presents a method for the determination of the effective thermal conductivity of metal nanoparticle beds in a microscale selective laser sintering process using finite element simulations in ANSYS. CAD models of nanoparticle groups at various timesteps during sintering are developed from Phase Field Modeling (PFM) output data, and steady state thermal simulations are performed on each group. The complete simulation framework developed in this work is adaptable to particle groups of variable sizes and geometric arrangements. Results from the thermal models are used to estimate the thermal conductivity of the copper nanoparticles as a function of sintering duration.

scholarly journals Fabrication of Natural Flake Graphite/Ceramic Composite Parts with Low Thermal Conductivity and High Strength by Selective Laser Sintering

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1314
Author(s):  
Haihua Wu ◽  
Kui Chen ◽  
Yafeng Li ◽  
Chaoqun Ren ◽  
Yu Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Ceramic Composite ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
High Strength ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
Post Processing ◽  
Composite Part ◽  
Low Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Powder Composition

The 3D graphite/ceramic composite prototyping parts directly prepared by selective laser sintering (SLS) were porous, which led to poor strength and low thermal conductivity. In order to obtain low thermal conductivity and high strength, its thermal conductivity and compressive strength were adjusted by changing the mixture powder composition and adding post-processing. The result showed that the addition of silicon powder in the mixture powder could significantly improve the compressive strength and thermal conductivity. The addition of expanded graphite was beneficial to the formation of the closed pores in the matrix, which slightly reduced the compressive strength but significantly reduced the thermal conductivity. The 3D graphite/ceramic composite part showed an order of magnitude improvement in compressive strength (from 1.25 to 13.87 MPa) but relatively small change in thermal conductivity (from 1.40 to 2.12 W·m−1K−1) and density (from 0.53 to 1.13 g·cm−3) by post-processing. Reasonable mixture powder composition and post-processing were determined and realized the possibility of fabricating a 3D graphite/ceramic composite part with low thermal conductivity but high compressive strength. Furthermore, it could be used for the repeated casting of steel castings, and through the comparative analysis of casting defects, the prepared graphite/ceramic composite part was expected to replace water glass sand mold.

Design and Modeling of a Microscale Selective Laser Sintering System

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilabh Roy ◽  
Anil Yuksel ◽  
Michael Cullinan
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
Feature Size ◽  
Powder Bed ◽  
Metal Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Wave Nature ◽  
Field Radiation ◽  
Metal Additive

The development of micro and nanoscale additive manufacturing methods in metals and ceramics is important for many applications in the aerospace, medical device, and electronics industries. Unfortunately, most commercially available metal additive manufacturing tools have feature-size resolutions of greater than 100 μm, which is too large to precisely control the microstructure of the parts they produce. A few research-grade metal additive manufacturing tools do exist, but their build rate is generally too slow for commercial applications. Therefore, this paper presents a new microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS) that can be used to improve the minimum feature-size resolution of metal additively manufactured parts by up to two orders of magnitude, while still maintaining the throughput of traditional additive manufacturing processes. In order to achieve this goal, several innovative design features like the use of (1) ultra-fast lasers, (2) a micro-mirror based optical system, (3) nanoscale powders, and (4) a precision spreader mechanism, have been implemented. The micro-SLS system is capable of achieving build rates of approximately 1 cm3/hr while achieving a feature-size resolution of approximately 1 μm. This paper will also present new molecular scale models that have been developed for the micro-SLS to quantify and certify the micro-SLS build process. Modeling of the micro-SLS process is challenging, because most macroscale models of the SLS process contain assumptions that are no longer valid when the size of the particles that are being sintered is smaller than the wavelength of the laser being used to sinter them. Therefore, in modeling the micro-SLS process we must account for the wave nature of light and can no longer rely on the ray tracing models commonly used to model the SLS process. Also, heat transfer in the micro-SLS process is dominated by near-field radiation due to the diffraction of the light off the nanoparticles in the powder bed and the ultrafast lasers that are used in the micro-SLS system. This means that the assumptions of heat transfer by conduction and far-field radiation in the macroscale SLS systems are no longer valid for the micro-SLS system. Finally, the agglomeration of nanoparticles in the powder bed must be accurately modeled in order to precisely predict the formation of defects in the final parts produced. Overall, the goal of this modeling effort is to be able to predict the quality of a part produced using any given processing conditions, in order to produce parts that are “born certified” and do not need to be tested post fabrication.

scholarly journals Selective Laser Sintering of Laser Printed Ag Nanoparticle Micropatterns at High Repetition Rates

Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filimon Zacharatos ◽  
Ioannis Theodorakos ◽  
Panagiotis Karvounis ◽  
Simon Tuohy ◽  
Nuno Braz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repetition Rate ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
High Repetition Rate ◽  
Metal Nanoparticle ◽  
Temperature Profiles ◽  
Ag Nanoparticle ◽  
High Repetition ◽  
Polymeric Substrates ◽  
Micro Patterns

The increasing development of flexible and printed electronics has fueled substantial advancements in selective laser sintering, which has been attracting interest over the past decade. Laser sintering of metal nanoparticle dispersions in particular (from low viscous inks to high viscous pastes) offers significant advantages with respect to more conventional thermal sintering or curing techniques. Apart from the obvious lateral selectivity, the use of short-pulsed and high repetition rate lasers minimizes the heat affected zone and offers unparalleled control over a digital process, enabling the processing of stacked and pre-structured layers on very sensitive polymeric substrates. In this work, the authors have conducted a systematic investigation of the laser sintering of micro-patterns comprising Ag nanoparticle high viscous inks: The effect of laser pulse width within the range of 20–200 nanoseconds (ns), a regime which many commercially available, high repetition rate lasers operate in, has been thoroughly investigated experimentally in order to define the optimal processing parameters for the fabrication of highly conductive Ag patterns on polymeric substrates. The in-depth temperature profiles resulting from the effect of laser pulses of varying pulse widths have been calculated using a numerical model relying on the finite element method, which has been fed with physical parameters extracted from optical and structural characterization. Electrical characterization of the resulting sintered micro-patterns has been benchmarked against the calculated temperature profiles, so that the resistivity can be associated with the maximal temperature value. This quantitative correlation offers the possibility to predict the optimal process window in future laser sintering experiments. The reported computational and experimental findings will foster the wider adoption of laser micro-sintering technology for laboratory and industrial use.

A process for estimating minimum feature size in selective laser sintering

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 436-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Weiss ◽  
Olaf Diegel ◽  
Duane Storti ◽  
Mark Ganter
Keyword(s):  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Dimensional Accuracy ◽  
Minimum Size ◽  
Design Rule ◽  
Feature Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rule Sets ◽  
Minimum Feature Size

Purpose Manufacturer specifications for the resolution of an additive manufacturing (AM) machine can be ten times smaller (more optimistic) than the actual size of manufacturable features. Existing methods used to establish a manufacturable design rule-set are conservative piecewise-constant approximations. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a first-order model for producing improved design rule-sets for feature manufacturability, accounting for process variation. Design/methodology/approach A framework is presented which uses an interpolation method and a statistical model to estimate the minimum size for a wide range of features from a set of iterative experiments. Findings For an SLS process, using this approach improves the accuracy and reliability of minimum feature size estimates for a wider variety of features than assessed by most existing test artifacts. Research limitations/implications More research is needed to provide better interpolation models, broaden applicability and account for additional geometric and process parameters which significantly impact the results. This research focuses on manufacturability and does not address dimensional accuracy of the features produced. Practical implications An application to the design of thin channels in a prosthetic hand shows the utility of the results in a real-world scenario. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate statistical variation of “pass/fail” features in AM process characterization, propose a means of estimating minimum feature sizes for shapes not directly tested and incorporate a more efficient iterative experimental protocol.

Computation of Effective Thermal Conductivity of Powders for Selective Laser Sintering Simulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 138 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Moser ◽  
Sreekanth Pannala ◽  
Jayathi Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Effective Thermal Conductivity ◽  
High Temperatures ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
View Factor ◽  
Conduction Model

In this work, a discrete element model (DEM) is developed and implemented in the open source flow solver MFiX to simulate the effective thermal conductivity of powder beds for selective laser sintering (SLS) applications, considering scenarios common in SLS such as thin beds, high temperatures, and degrees of powder consolidation. Random particle packing structures of spherical particles are generated and heat transfer between the particles is calculated. A particle–particle contact conduction model, a particle–fluid–particle conduction model, and a view factor radiation model using ray-tracing for calculation of view factors and assuming optically thick particles are used. A nonlinear solver is used to solve for the particle temperatures that drive the net heat transfer to zero for a steady state solution. The effective thermal conductivity is then calculated from the steady state temperature distribution. Results are compared against previously published experimental measurements for powder beds and good agreement is obtained. Results are developed for the impacts of very high temperatures, finite bed depth, consolidation, Young's modulus, emissivity, gas conductivity, and polydispersity on effective thermal conductivity. Emphasis is placed on uncertainty quantification in the predicted thermal conductivity resulting from uncertain inputs. This allows SLS practitioners to control the inputs to which the thermal response of the process is most sensitive.

scholarly journals A novel microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS) process for the fabrication of microelectronic parts

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilabh K. Roy ◽  
Dipankar Behera ◽  
Obehi G. Dibua ◽  
Chee S. Foong ◽  
Michael A. Cullinan
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Selective Laser Sintering ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Laser Sintering ◽  
Metal Nanoparticle ◽  
Metal Parts ◽  
Nanoparticle Layer ◽  
Slot Die ◽  
Commercial Applications

AbstractOne of the biggest challenges in microscale additive manufacturing is the production of three-dimensional, microscale metal parts with a high enough throughput to be relevant for commercial applications. This paper presents a new microscale additive manufacturing process called microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS) that can produce true 3D metal parts with sub-5 μm resolution and a throughput of greater than 60 mm3/hour. In μ-SLS, a layer of metal nanoparticle ink is first coated onto a substrate using a slot die coating system. The ink is then dried to produce a uniform nanoparticle layer. Next, the substrate is precisely positioned under an optical subsystem using a set of coarse and fine nanopositioning stages. In the optical subsystem, laser light that has been patterned using a digital micromirror array is used to heat and sinter the nanoparticles into the desired patterns. This set of steps is then repeated to build up each layer of the 3D part in the μ-SLS system. Overall, this new technology offers the potential to overcome many of the current limitations in microscale additive manufacturing of metals and become an important process in microelectronics packaging applications.

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