Advanced Materials

Metal additive manufacturing has been on the rise for many years. Predominantly led by the adoption in high value applications like aerospace & defence and medical. The majority of printer processes use a powder feedstock. This is mainly for powder bed fusion but material jetting and binder jetting are also gaining traction (each with different material requirements and economics).

A team of researchers has come up with a novel electrode that could greatly improve the stability of perovskite solar cells, the most promising candidate for the next generation solar cells due to their low cost and high power conversion efficiency.

In an effort to improve large touchscreens, LED light panels and window-mounted infrared solar cells, a team of researchers has made plastic conductive while also making it more transparent.

This webinar from IDTechEx will provide - A technical introduction to the field, A discussion as to why now?, An overview of key players and developments, Key commercial outlooks, Critical appraisal of strategic direction available to industrial users, and Success stories.

There are many solar markets only accessible with technologies beyond silicon. They include transparent and flexible film solar, underwater and indoor solar. Consider lightweight photovoltaic film on the sides of buildings that cannot support heavy glass. Film retrofits on buses and boats to boost range.

Learn about electronics as smart materials bypassing the traditional industry.

Heraeus provides a portfolio of IC packaging materials including sintered Ag paste for die attach purposes.

Alpha: commercializing Ag nano sintering die attach paste

This is a low-temperature die-attach conductive paste for metalorganic nano Ag inks. The innovation is mostly around lowering the sintering temperature.

Researchers dipped their new, printed sensors into tuna broth and watched the readings. It turned out the sensors - printed with high-resolution aerosol jet printers on a flexible polymer film and tuned to test for histamine, an allergen and indicator of spoiled fish and meat - can detect histamine down to 3.41 parts per million.

InssTek is a producer of directed energy deposition (DED) metal additive manufacturing printers. IDTechEx received the latest information on their company, new developments, and outlook from Kyung Won Park (Assistant Manager).

Metalysis produce metal powders using an electrochemical reduction process.

Renishaw has been long-term players in the metal additive manufacturing market with their powder bed fusion (DMLS) technology.

Markforged are notable players in composite 3D printing (notably with continuous carbon fiber) and Metal 3D printing.

Norsk Titanium primarily provide 3D printed titanium parts to Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs in the aerospace industry.

Since Q2 2017, there has been some notable updates that builds upon their role in additive manufacturing and the acquisition of Puris LLC in 2016. In May 2016, Puris announced it had filed a patent for "Puris 5+", a Ti-6Al-4V low oxygen high-strength titanium powder. Carpenter Additive now state to have 5+ and 23+ grade Ti-6Al-4V alloys.

GE Additive is a business unit of multinational conglomerate GE founded in 2016 following the acquisition of two 3D printing equipment manufacturers, Arcam AB and Concept Laser, as well as Arcam AB's subsidiary organisations, metal powder manufacturer AP&C (Advanced Powders & Coatings).

A film made of tiny carbon nanotubes may be a key material in developing clothing that can heat or cool the wearer on demand. A new study finds that the CNT film has a combination of thermal, electrical and physical properties that make it an appealing candidate for next-generation smart fabrics.

Kyocera: mixed nano/micro pressure-less sintering die attach paste

This article highlights some key material development trends. More specifically, approaches to increase the thermal conductivity (in W/mK) of TIMs are considered. This is an important trend because the IDTechEx assessment is that the market, in absolute terms, for high or ultrahigh thermal conductivity TIM materials, will inevitably rise.