System and method for direct electroless plating of 3d-printable glass for selective surface patterning
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsNikola DUDUKOVIC, Rebecca DYLLA-SPEARS, Megan Elizabeth ELLIS
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a glass structure having a metallized surface portion. The method may comprise forming a structure using a flowable first material, adapted to form a glass, which includes a metal component. The structure is then treated to remove substantially all solvents and organic components contained in the first flowable material. Finally, the structure is exposed to a bath of a metal salt during which nucleation occurs and a metallized surface coating is formed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the structure.
Claims19
A method for forming a glass structure having a metallized surface portion, the method comprising:
- forming a glass structure using a flowable material, adapted to form a glass, which includes a catalyst component, such that the catalyst component forms an activated surface of the glass structure and a structural portion of the glass structure;
- treating the glass structure to remove substantially all solvents and organic components contained in the flowable material;
- and
- exposing the glass structure to a bath containing a metal salt during which nucleation occurs and a metallic surface coating is formed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the glass structure containing the catalyst component.
A method for forming a glass structure having a metallized surface portion, the method comprising:
- carrying out an additive manufacturing operation to form the glass structure using a flowable first material and a second flowable material, wherein the first flowable material includes SiO2 and the second flowable material differs from the first material and includes a catalyst, and wherein the second flowable material is applied to form at least a designated portion of an outer surface of the glass structure;
- treating the structure to remove substantially all solvents and organic components contained in the first flowable material;
- and
- exposing the glass structure to a bath of a metal salt solution during which nucleation occurs and a metallized surface coating is formed only on the designated portion of the outer surface of the glass structure which includes the second flowable material containing the catalyst, to provide a metallized pattern on the outer surface.
(canceled)
A method for forming a glass structure having a metallized surface portion, the method comprising:
- carrying out an additive manufacturing operation to form the glass structure using a first flowable material and a second flowable material, wherein the first flowable material includes SiO2 and the second flowable material differs from the first flowable material and includes a catalyst, and wherein the second flowable material forms an activated portion, as well as a structural portion, of the glass structure and is applied to form at least a designated portion of an outer surface of the glass structure, and the first flowable material forms a remainder of the glass structure;
- heating the glass structure during a drying/burnout operation to remove substantially all solvents and organic components contained in the first flowable material;
- sintering the glass structure to produce a consolidated structure;
- exposing the consolidated structure to a bath of a metal salt solution during which nucleation occurs and a metallized surface coating is formed only on the designated portion of the outer surface of the glass structure containing the second flowable material having the catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.