METHOD FOR FORMING THREE-DIMENSIONAL MACROSTRUCTURE USING LIQUID METAL BY MEANS OF SUSPENSION PRINTING

摘要

A method for forming a three-dimensional (3D) macrostructure using liquid metal by means of suspension printing, comprising the steps of: dissolving a gelling-promotion polymer material in water for fully swelling; adjusting the solution to be neutral or basic, and eliminating bubbles to obtain a transparent gel matrix; creating a 3D structure model, introducing 3D printing control software, generating a movement trail code for a print head, and guiding the printer to print layer by layer; and drawing liquid metal into a syringe, controlling the liquid metal to be continuously extruded through the print head, and forming a 3D macrostructure using the liquid metal in the hydrogel layer by layer in an incremental manner. In the method, a polymer gel is used as a supporting material; the thixotropic property of the gel enables a suspension print head to perform back-and-forth movements according to a set movement trail in the environment of the supporting material; the fast-curing property thereof enables extruded liquid metal to be supported and enclosed, so that the droplet shape of the extruded material can be maintained, and controllable forming of a 3D macrostructure using a liquid material is implemented.