Associate professor Masoud Mahjouri-Samani has been awarded a three-year, $475,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to innovate and miniaturize laser-based powder-bed fusion additive manufacturing. His research aims to push this technology to the micro and nanoscale, allowing for the creation of functional devices with unprecedented precision and complexity.
Pioneering Advances in Additive Manufacturing at the Nanoscale
Traditional powder-bed additive manufacturing typically involves fusing microscale particles—ranging from 20 to 50 microns in diameter—layer by layer to create larger structures. However, these macro architectures often lack the functional capabilities needed for advanced applications. Mahjouri-Samani’s research seeks to dramatically reduce the scale of this process, working with nanoparticles only a few nanometers thick. By developing novel laser processes that generate, coat, and fuse these nanoparticles in real-time, his team is pioneering what could become the smallest powder bed additive manufacturing process—referred to as nanoparticle bed fusion additive nanomanufacturing.
Mahjouri-Samani’s approach allows for the integration of different materials to create nano and microarchitectures with tunable compositions, which could lead to the development of highly functional devices. This research also delves into the interactions at the interface and the laser sintering process of nanoparticle assemblies. By exploring these processes across various energy and time scales, the study aims to deepen the understanding of sintering, phase evolution, intermixing, and alloying mechanisms. Additionally, the research will examine the structural and morphological evolution of 3D-printed nanocomposites and heterostructures, elucidating their process-structure-property relationships.
Addressing Fundamental Questions in Nano-Manufacturing
The research comes with its own set of challenges and uncertainties. How can nanoparticles be generated uniformly? How will these particles interact with each other during the manufacturing process? What effects will different laser energy and time scales have on the particles? These are some of the critical questions that Mahjouri-Samani’s team will address with the support of this NSF grant. “We look forward to using these answers to significantly advance the field of advanced manufacturing,” Mahjouri-Samani stated.
Impact on Multiple Industries
The potential applications of this research are vast, spanning the electronics, energy, healthcare, biomedical, and aerospace industries. Mahjouri-Samani envisions that the outcomes of his research will contribute to the creation of functional 3D microarchitectures and applications, thereby making a significant impact on the U.S. economy through technological advancement. Moreover, the project will also play a crucial role in educating and training the next generation of the scientific workforce, furthering the development of innovative solutions across various sectors.
Source: eng.auburn.edu
