Lithography based manufacturing of graphene-coated powders

Research Project, 2025 – 2026

Additive manufacturing is now an established technology that is experiencing rapid growth with increasing opportunities for additional applications. This development is being driven by the availability of enhanced 3D printers and the development of novel materials. For example, Lithography-based Metal Manufacturing (LMM) technology is a relatively new method that relies on stereolithography to build parts in a layer-by-layer process. Compared to powder bed fusion (PBF) processes, which use a laser or electron beam to melt and fuse the material, in LMM the metal particles are dispersed in an organic binder and photopolymerized (i.e. hardened) in each layer by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. When the green part of the component has been built up, the unused printing material can be removed (“de-caking”) and the green part is debinded and sintered, i.e. the organic binder is removed, and the final part is densified. Originally developed for ceramics, the technology has recently been adapted for fine metal powders.