Filament-based AM of metal composites

This project aims to develop a filament-based AM-process to print metal-containing composite structures. The process is illustrated schematically below. Initially, we mix a polymer such as PLA ( polylactic acid) with a metal-containing component. The mixture is compounded into a polymer/metal precursor, which is added to an extruder giving a composite filament. The produced filament will then be used to form structures in a 3D printer. We use a commercially available printer modified to meet our requirements. The major challenge of this project lies in the optimization of the filament and the printing parameters to build a component with specific properties. For example, we are currently investigating the thermal conductivity and magnetic properties of Cu and Fe-containing structures. The project is carried out in collaboration with e.g. Graphmatech AB and Add North AB.

Contact person:
Ulf Jansson, Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University.