Printing Nanostructured Powders (PNP) Process

The printing of nano-structured particles (PNP) process produces powder particles with a nano-structure by using high-speed printing techniques combined with classical powder metallurgy processes. This proposed work builds on the success in Phase 1. The particles produced are the feedstock for high kinetic energy, HVOF and arc-plasma thermal spray processes in the range of 10 to greater than 100 micrometers. The agglomerated particles are also used in applications as diverse as rocket fuel to drug compositions. Commercially obtained cylindrical printing rolls have cavities originally designed to hold ink for commercial printing. These cavities are available in size ranges from less than 17 micrometers to over 100 micrometers. A thin sheet of nano-sized powder is spread on a solid surface and the printing roll is rolled over the sheet. The nano-sized powder is compressed into the cavities and forms a compacted particle the size of the cavity. The compacted particles are then used in this state or are sintered at a temperature to add strength to the particle while maintaining the nano-structure within the particle.