Metallization of 3D-Printed UV Photopolymer Structures by the Incorporation of Pd-Decorated Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Pd-decorated carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites were added to a UV photopolymer resin to be used as the ink in the printing of three-dimensional (3D) structures. The nanocomposites were prepared with a UV-induced reduction method, in which Pd nanoparticles with a size ranging from 10 to 150 nm were produced and decorated on CNTs. The printed 3D structures from the resin containing 1.0 wt % Pd-decorated CNTs exhibited much improved mechanical properties, achieving a 40% enhancement in fracture strength and a 40% increase in microhardness over the 3D structures printed from the bare resin. In the presence of Pd-decorated CNTs as catalyst seeds, further deposition of defect-free, nearly conformal Ni–P layer on the 3D-printed structures at a high deposition rate can be realized. The cross-cut adhesion testing revealed a significantly enhanced adhesion between the deposited Ni–P layer and the 3D-printed structures. The metallized 3D-printed structures displayed superior electrical conductivity, showing an electrical resistance down to 0.11 Ω as 1.0 wt % Pd-decorated CNTs were incorporated. The findings from this work highlight the merits of employing Pd-decorated CNTs as both mechanical property enhancer and catalyst seeds in the advanced manufacturing of 3D-printed structures.

Advancements in Electrodeposition for Precise Manufacturing and Sustainability

“…Typical precursors include Ag, 84,85 Cu, 86 and Pd (Fig. 5b), [87][88][89] which have been implemented into parts manufactured via FDM, SLA, and direct ink writing (DIW). An example of a precursor is ZnO, which can be loaded into an SLA printed part and used for selective laser activation.…”

Platinum Metallization of Polyethylene Terephthalate by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Catalyzation and the Tensile Fracture Strength

“…There are a number of processes to combine a flexible polymer and an electrically conductive metal, such as sputtering [ 14 ], photodeposition [ 15 ], chemical vapor deposition [ 16 ], chemical fluid deposition [ 17 ], cold-spray coating [ 18 ] and electroless plating [ 19 , 20 ]. Among the metallization methods, the electroless plating method is the most suitable method because of the ease in controlling properties of the deposited metal layer, the ability to deposit metal layers on complex surfaces and the low process cost.…”