{"id":23558,"date":"2018-03-29T16:11:28","date_gmt":"2018-03-29T20:11:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=23558"},"modified":"2022-03-16T12:06:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T16:06:39","slug":"stretchable-electronics-and-soft-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/stretchable-electronics-and-soft-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"Advancing the Manufacture of Stretchable Electronics and Soft Robots"},"content":{"rendered":"

A research team from the <\/span>Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute<\/span><\/a> at Oregon State University\u2019s College of Engineering have developed a method for modified, <\/span>3D-printable metal alloy<\/span><\/a>. This development could lead to the rapid manufacture of stretchable electronics, including flexible computer screens and soft robots.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study is published in the journal <\/span>Advanced Materials Technologies<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The research team used sonication — the energy of sound — to put nickel nanoparticles into galinstan, a liquid metal alloy. The process thickens the galinstan into a paste with a consistency suitable for additive manufacturing.<\/span><\/p>\n

This method enables the 3D printing of tall, complex structures with a highly conductive gallium alloy. Prior to this development, the gallium alloy was too runny to print three dimensionally.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe runny alloy was impossible to layer into tall structures,\u201d <\/span>Yi\u011fit Meng\u00fc\u00e7<\/span><\/a>, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at OSU and co-corresponding author on the study, said in a statement. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the paste-like texture, it can be layered while maintaining its capacity to flow, and to stretch inside of rubber tubes. We demonstrated the potential of our discovery by 3D printing a very stretchy two-layered circuit whose layers weave in and out of each other without touching.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Gallium alloys have low toxicity and good conductivity, and are inexpensive and \u201cself-healing,\u201d meaning they are able to reattach at break points. As a result, gallium alloys are already commonly used as the conductive material in flexible electronics.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before this team\u2019s development, the use of gallium alloys was restricted to 2-dimensional printing by its runny texture. By developing a 3D-printable gallium alloy, this team has changed the way liquid metals can be used in the manufacture of flexible technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the current state of the art, liquid metal material is only injected into silicone microchannels or sprayed over,\u201d <\/span>said <\/span>Do\u011fan Yirmibe\u015fo\u011flu<\/span><\/a>, a robotics doctoral student at OSU and co-author of the study.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to use additive manufacturing for depositing liquid metal so that we can generate much more complex soft sensors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For this study, the researchers used the newly-developed alloy to print structures up to 10 mm high and 20 mm wide. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLiquid metal printing is integral to the flexible electronics field,\u201d <\/span>Yirmibe\u015fo\u011flu said in a statement. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdditive manufacturing enables fast fabrication of intricate designs and circuitry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The 3D-printable paste boasts a variety of features that could benefit the field of flexible electronics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be made easily and quickly,\u201d <\/span>Uranbileg Daalkhaijav<\/span><\/a>, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering at OSU and co-corresponding author, said in a statement. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe structural change is permanent, the electrical properties of the paste are comparable to pure liquid metal, and the paste retains self-healing characteristics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n