Invention Summary:
Researchers at Rutgers University have developed a scalable technique for depositing microscale coatings of a wide variety of materials and composites onto complex 3D additive or micromachined structures. The new coating process, based on self-limiting electrospray deposition (SLED), once deposited on the surface of a target material, generates a charged film that repels incident spray and redirects it to uncoated portions of the target material. It enables to conformally coat complex 3D structures without changing the location of the spray needle or orientation of the object.
This process can be incorporated as a post-processing method to coat films on 3D structures, or concurrently with the additive manufacturing process for a uniform coating as it is printed. Further, this process is feasible for various functional coatings, including but not limited to anticorrosion barriers, anti-fouling films, photoactive or mechanically active films, and porous coatings.
Market Applications:
- Protective and active coatings
- Post-processing method to coat 3D structures
- Additive manufacturing
Advantages:
- Compatible with complex 3D structures
- Uniform coating
- Solution can be derived from water and a wide variety of organic solvents
- Facile addition of various fillers
Intellectual Property & Development Status:
Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration.
Please see more details about self-limiting electrospray deposition (SLED) (Rutgers ID: 2018-133) at http://rutgers.technologypublisher.com/techcase/2018-133
