IJAMT, Cambridge, UK and Harvard Medical School: A high-temperature microsensor fabricated via aerosol jet printing of colloidal platinum nanoparticle ink enables continuous condition monitoring of rocket engine structures.
声明 Statement Content
Introduction
In the aerospace field, the reliability and safety of rocket engines are of paramount importance. Conventional monitoring methods rely on manual inspections, making it difficult to capture structural deformations in high-temperature environments in real time. Recently, a technology known as Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) was featured in the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Using this technique, scientists have directly printed platinum‑nanoparticle ink microsensors—capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1290°C—onto the surface of rocket engines, enabling real-time monitoring of structural strain and creep. This article will systematically examine its underlying principles, applications, and future prospects.
Main text
Working principle
1. What is colloidal platinum nanoparticle ink?
Colloidal platinum nanoparticle ink is a nanoscale ink that exhibits electrical conductivity, adhesion, and high-temperature resistance. It contains metal nanoparticles and can form robust, conductive microstructures under specific conditions. This ink is characterized by excellent fluidity and high tunability, making it well suited for high-precision printing processes.
- Manufacturing process: A platinum electrode with 99.95% purity is subjected to electrical discharge, instantly “exploding” to produce nanoscale platinum particles (1–5 micrometers).
- Composition: platinum particles, ethylene glycol solvent, and a binder (PVP), which are subjected to 60 minutes of ultrasonic agitation to form a uniform suspension.
- Performance: Platinum content of 25% by weight, forming a continuous conductive network after high-temperature sintering.
2. Technical Advantages of Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP)
Aerosol jet printing (AJP) technology uses a high‑velocity gas stream to atomize nano‑ink, generating tiny, uniform ink droplets that are then precisely deposited onto a designated substrate.
The advantages of this process are:
- High resolution: line widths can reach tens of micrometers or even finer;
- Controllable shape: complex microstructures can be fabricated;
- Low-temperature processing: exhibits low thermal sensitivity to the substrate;
- Rapid prototyping: suitable for mass production and rapid prototyping.
3. Process Flow
Aerosol jet printing preparation stage: formulate inks containing nano-silver or other metal nanoparticles, ensuring their stability and flowability.
Jetting printing process: Using an aerosol jet‑printing nozzle, microscopic ink droplets are precisely deposited at a predetermined location. By adjusting the focal length, jetting distance, and pressure, the desired line width and thickness can be achieved.
Subsequent processing: For example, high‑temperature annealing—such as heating at 150°C for 2 hours followed by sintering at 1500°C—can fuse the nanoparticles to form a conductive and robust microstructure. Meanwhile, by tuning the process parameters, one can control the layer thickness, electrical conductivity, and structural morphology.
4. Regulation of Key Technical Parameters in Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP)
Focusing Ratio: Affects the width and precision of the jet; a longer focal length produces narrower lines, but may reduce stability.
Nozzle distance: It affects the jet’s conformity and the structural quality; the optimal distance is within 5 mm. If the distance is too great, the jet may disperse or its shape may become difficult to control.
Layer Count and Thickness: By stacking multiple layers, the layer thickness can be tuned; with 10 layers, a thickness of 5.3 μm is achieved. Moreover, once the number of layers is sufficient, the electrical resistance drops to 0.01 Ω, meeting the requirements for micro‑strain monitoring.
Technological Advantages
1. High precision and high resolution
Traditional sensor fabrication relies on complex micro‑machining processes, whereas aerosol jet printing (AJP) can realize intricate structures at the micrometer or even sub‑micrometer scale, significantly enhancing the spatial resolution of sensors.
2. Flexibility and Customization
Depending on the specific task requirements, spray parameters can be rapidly adjusted to tailor sensors with diverse shapes and performance characteristics, eliminating the need for time-consuming mold fabrication.
3. Excellent thermal and chemical stability
After jetting, the material undergoes high-temperature sintering, resulting in a structure with excellent electrical conductivity and superior thermal stability, making it suitable for high-temperature environments such as those found in rockets and engines.
4. Rapid Manufacturing and Cost Control
Additive manufacturing enables rapid prototyping, shortens production cycles, and reduces costs, making it particularly well-suited for small‑batch, diversified aerospace applications.
5. Multi-functional Integration
In addition to micro‑strain sensors, multifunctional sensors for temperature, pressure, corrosion detection, and more can also be fabricated on the same platform, enabling intelligent monitoring.
Scope of Application
1. Spacecraft Monitoring
Micro‑sensors fabricated via aerosol jet printing (AJP) can be attached to critical components such as rocket nozzles and engine chips, enabling real-time monitoring of micro‑deformations and micro‑strains and providing early warnings of potential structural failures.
2. Real-time monitoring in high-temperature environments
Under extreme high temperatures, conventional sensors are prone to damage. In contrast, platinum‑ink sensors fabricated via aerosol jet printing (AJP) maintain stable performance even after high‑temperature sintering, thereby ensuring flight safety.
3. Intelligent Component Manufacturing
Future aerospace systems will require a large number of microelectronic components. The platinum‑ink technology employed in aerosol jet printing (AJP) can play a pivotal role in the fabrication of micro‑ and nanostructured devices, providing essential foundational support for intelligent systems.
4. Future Space Stations and Lunar Bases
Aerosol jet printing (AJP) technology enables the flexible fabrication of microsensor arrays for environmental monitoring and equipment condition sensing, supporting future deep-space exploration missions.
Image and Text Guide
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the aerosol jet printing (AJP) process used in this study for fabricating microsensors.
Figure 2. Aerosol jet‑printed (AJP) sensors deposited on the A‑prototype JX4 Inconel 718 reusable lunar landing autogenous engine. B Surface images of four printed sensor patterns, used to measure stress along different displacement axes; C Scanning electron micrograph of an aerosol jet‑printed microstrain sensor directly deposited on the nozzle surface.
Figure 3. Aerosol jet printing (AJP) technology was used to fabricate multilayer contact interfaces for microstrain sensors on the surface of the 718 superalloy.
Figure 4. (A) Scanning electron micrograph of the annealed material after 15 minutes, and (B) scanning electron micrograph of the annealed material after 120 minutes.
Figure 5. Relationship between line width, line height, and sheath gas focusing.
Figure 6. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the sensor structure for different printed lines as the sheath-to-carrier-gas focusing ratio increases from 1 to 6.
Figure 7. The thickness of aerosol jet printed (AJP) layers as each layer is deposited.
Figure 8. (A) Deposition of two creep sensors used to monitor creep in the x‑axis and y‑axis; (B) Scanning electron micrograph showing surface details of the sensors at high magnification.
Figure 9. A three-dimensional reconstruction of the creep sensor’s structure reveals the micro‑surface roughness generated by the sensor, as well as the surface roughness profile across the sensor’s cross‑section.
Conclusion
Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP)–based platinum ink technology, a significant innovation in the aerospace industry, offers a fresh approach to micro‑sensing solutions in complex environments. It not only dramatically enhances sensor accuracy and adaptability but also ushers in a new era of intelligent space‑based monitoring. As the technology continues to mature and the supply chain becomes more robust, we can anticipate that AJP will assume an even more pivotal role across rocketry, satellite systems, space stations, and an expanding array of high‑end manufacturing sectors. We stand at the cusp of aerospace intelligence, poised to witness an unprecedented wave of technological transformation. Let us look forward to the remarkable breakthroughs that aerosol jet printing–based platinum ink will bring.
The Aerosol Jet 200 is a compact, benchtop aerosol jet printing system designed for professional‑grade prototyping, materials and process development, and small‑batch customized production. It offers an excellent balance of high‑precision printing, multi‑material compatibility, and user‑friendly operation, making it an affordable, high‑performance platform ideally suited for universities, research institutions, materials developers, and small electronics manufacturers.
Throughput Accuracy/Repeatability Print Line Dimensions Working Area Materials 3 wires per second Point-to-point wire stacking On-chip up to 48 wires per second ±5 μm over 25 mm ±2 μm over 25 mm Variable range 10–860 μm Pitch: as low as 20 μm Thickness: <1–10+ μm 300×300 mm (XY) 100 mm (Z) Conductors: silver, copper, gold, aluminum, nickel, indium (under development) Dielectrics: polyimide, UV‑curable acrylic photoresist Metamaterials: graphene, perovskite, MXene Motion System Process Control Software Vision Atomizer XY: linear motor Z: recirculating ball screw Digital incremental encoders with 0.1 μm resolution Digital recipe control Automatic alarms for process monitoring CAD/CAM offline programming Easy programming, automation of fabrication, motion, and vision systems Cognex Vision tools: Blob, Edge, PatMAX 12 MP USB 3.0 RGB LED illumination Ultrasonic atomization (1–15 kHz) or pneumatic atomization (1–1000 kHz) Power supply 200–250 VAC single-phase 50/60 Hz Nitrogen 50 PSI at 28 SLPM (max) Dimensions 1168×1525×2185 mm (46×60×86 inches) Weight 1250 lbs (567 kg) Floor 4” (102 mm) continuous pad thickness
The Aerosol Jet 5X system is a modular, conformal printing solution for electronics that meets evolving R&D and production needs. Driven by both R&D and manufacturing requirements, the system addresses advancing product‑functionality demands while reducing size and weight. With capabilities ranging from planar to multi‑axis deposition, it supports rapid prototyping and facilitates small‑batch production.
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