Researchers at UC Irvine have developed a new method to 3D-print free-form silica glass materials which produces products with unparalleled purity, optical clarity, and mechanical strength under far milder conditions than currently available techniques. The novel processing method has potential to radically transform microsystem technology by enabling development of silica-based microsystems.

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Prof. Guillermo Aguilar-Mendoza and his research team including colleagues from the University of California campuses in Riverside and San Diego have developed an all ceramic, biocompatible, hermetically sealed package for encapsulating electronics. This technology uses disparate transparent polycrystalline ceramics and is sealed by ultrafast lasers. The laser directly joins the disparate surfaces, protecting the electronic device from damage while ensuring a high-quality seal. The inventors strategically considered both the optical properties of the polycrystalline ceramics (linear and non-linear absorption - NLA) and the laser parameters (exposure time, number of laser pulses and pulse duration - femto second versus pico second). Two different concepts have been identified: Transparent ceramics for hermetic encapsulation; and,Diffuse ceramics to demonstrate joining of simple geometries. In the above image - (a) is a schematic illustration of concept 1 above; (b) picture of a sample electronic payload (an integrated chip) placed inside a ceramic tube; (c) picture of successfully welded assembly of concept 1 - the background pattern (pitch 3.5 mm is visible through a transparent ceramic cap; (d) schematic of concept 2 for welding simple ceramic geometries; and, (e) picture of a successfully welded assembly of Alumina and Ytria-stabilized Zirconia (YSZ).   Picture of transparent ceramics fabricated at UCR.

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UCLA researchers in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Materials Science and Engineering have developed a novel ceramic aerogel material that has robust mechanical and thermal stability under extreme conditions.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed cellular porous metallic and ceramic structures that can be used to increase the production and recovery of tritium for fusion power reactors or as a support for electrode materials.

UCLA researchers in the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering have developed a novel casting method to fabricate high performance bulk ceramic materials containing dispersed nanoparticles.

An addictive manufacturing method used to create lightweight materials with tunable physical properties.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a novel method for industrial production of super-hydrophobic material.

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UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a structured surface that can be made of any material (but demonstrated with glass) that repels all liquids (even fluorinated solvents) without using any repellant coating.

Professor Kaner and colleagues have developed methods to synthesize substantially phase pure compounds of magnesium silicide and related alloys. The phase purity achieved by this method is unprecedented, and the yielded products are suitable to be used as thermoelectric materials in the mid- to high-temperature range (400 K to 800 K). 

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Manufacturers have been looking for a next-generation of composite materials that can absorb the shock and impact of intense collisions and accidents.  Some plastic composites and metal alloys have offered the advantage of being light weight, but they are still limited in their ability to have comparable shock resistance to their heavier metal counterparts.  Further, their high costs have made them cost prohibitive for their limited benefits.                                      

Researchers at UCLA have developed a method for reducing the manufacturing costs associated with chemically bonded ceramics. 

Molding and casting of parts can be done more simply and economically for parts that are free from undercut features, primarily because a more expensive multi-piece mold must be used for parts with such undercut features. Therefore immediate feedback to the designer about the presence of costly undercuts allows for their early removal in the design process. Without immediate and accurate feedback designers can wind up with high part costs, waste, and a complicated manufacturing process. UC Berkeley researchers have developed a design system, based on a sophisticated new algorithm that allows for very efficient and rapid identification of undercuts in 3D geometric models. The Berkeley system uses graphics acceleration to allow a user to rotate an object, examine the undercuts in real time and accurately identify undercuts on a pixel by pixel basis. The system also highlights the portions of faces, including curved faces, which have undercuts. Early detection and removal of undercuts ensures rapid development of the lowest cost design. The system can also be used as a subroutine in finding whether any under-cut free parting directions exist and for evaluating which is optimal if there are multiple choices. The ability to find the optimal direction along with pixel level accuracy makes the system highly desirable for designers.