电泳沉积（EPD）通过将各种物质的颗粒沉积到各种制成品的表面上，用作涂层材料的方法。它一直是一个世纪的现存技术。自最早使用以来，EPD已被用来将广泛的材料沉积到表面上：包括陶瓷，金属，聚合物甚至活细胞。这是一个很好的过程，但是它受到限制，因为EPD只能在整个表面（而不是在特定位置）沉积材料。到目前为止。
Lawrence Livermore国家实验室的研究人员创造了一种技术，他们将其命名为轻度电泳沉积，该技术使用光电导电电极和DC电场来动态对表面材料进行动态模式。这样可以在靶向区域内积聚材料，在该区域内接触光导器表面。
“我们已经根据使用光在光导层上的光进行图案材料提出了一种新型的电泳沉积技术。这是推进电泳沉积作为制造复杂3D图案复合材料的一种方法的重要一步。”研究工程师兼首席作者Andrew Pascall说。
The researchers used Light-directed Electrophoretic Deposition to produce an alumina ceramic-tungsten nano-particle composite. First, the tungsten nano-particles were deposited across the photo-conductive surface. They were then illuminated via a laser cut aluminum mask. Next, a different shaped mask was substituted to deposit the ceramic material. Soon, the aluminum masks will be replaced by a digitally projected mask similar to those found in DLP televisions, for a completely automated deposition system.
The potential for Light-directed Electrophoretic Deposition is to elevate traditional EPD from a single layer, single material coating process to an additive manufacturing technique that allows for composites that cannot be formed using other methodologies. That potential has vast ramifications in terms of applications. For example, void areas can be precisely created to control polymer material behaviours for energy absorption or within cellular material, allowing the creation of veins and blood vessels in manufactured and bio-printed human organs.
The research is the subject of a paper, “Light-Directed Electrophoretic Deposition: A New Additive Manufacturing Technique for Arbitrarily Patterned 3D Composites,” published in the journal高级材料.
