NExt AlChemy: Nanoparticle Exothermic Alloying Chemistry

Figure 1:

LIGA provides high tolerance metal parts, but is 3-10X too expensive to make many commercial items, like watch parts.

Metal castings are cheap, but the surface tension in molten metal limits miniaturization.

Figure 2:

Casting process uses a graphite crucible, and micromachined graphite mold – enables truly 3D MEMS castings

Figure 3:

Melt gets hot! Enthalpy models – spectroscopy show temps range 3000 -7000 K!

Figures 4-5:

Use microsandblasting to form cavities in inexpensive glass, form lead, and lead-lead oxide nanoparticle castings; a battery.

Figures 6-7:

Provides 100X the current, and 100X the lifetime, rechargeable over many more cycles.

Figures 8-9:

Aluminum alloys can be cast which can’t be electroplated….this leads to the possibility of ceramic, stainless, nuclear refractory and very interesting materials for use in MEMS.