Arizona State University

Zhi Zhao

Chao Wang

Yu Yao

Edward Kavazanjian

Nasser Hamdan

Ximin He

Reflectors for concentrated solar power as well as systems and methods for additively manufacturing the reflectors is provided. The disclosed method can directly print metal films from an aqueous precursor solution onto a substrate with little to no post-fabrication treatment to achieve highly reflective surfaces with low surface roughness. The method provides precise control to form a metal film having an RMS surface roughness of about 2 to about 5 nm and a relative reflectivity of about 90% to about 96% at 550 nm on a substrate having an area of at least 1 square meter.

Additive manufacturing of metal films

An additive manufacturing process for forming a metallic layer on the surface of the substrate includes fabricating a substrate from a polymerizable composition by a stereolithographic process, and contacting the reactive surface with an aqueous solution including a metal precursor. The metal precursor includes a metal, and the polymerizable composition includes a multiplicity of multifunctional components. Each multifunctional component includes a reactive moiety extending from a surface of the substrate to form a reactive surface. An interface between the reactive surface and the aqueous solution is selectively irradiated to form nanoparticles including the metal in a desired pattern. The nanoparticles are chemically coupled to the reactive surface by reactive moieties, thereby forming a metallic layer on the surface of the substrate.

Direct metal printing with stereolithography

An additive manufacturing process for forming a metallic layer on the surface of the substrate includes fabricating a substrate from a polymerizable composition by a stereolithographic process, and contacting the reactive surface with an aqueous solution including a metal precursor. The metal precursor includes a metal, and the polymerizable composition includes a multiplicity of multifunctional components. Each multifunctional component includes a reactive moiety extending from a surface of the substrate to form a reactive surface. An interface between the reactive surface and the aqueous solution is irradiated to form nanoparticles including the metal. The nanoparticles are chemically coupled to the reactive surface by reactive moieties, thereby forming a metallic layer on the surface of the substrate.

A soil stabilization method of forming an admixture of at least one hydrogel precursor and urease enzyme, and contacting at least a portion of the admixture with soil, and forming a hydrogel network in-situ within at least a portion of the soil, wherein at least a portion of the hydrogel network includes in-situ precipitated calcium carbonate. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the hydrogel network is formed in-situ by polymerizing the at least one hydrogel precursor in the presence of the urease enzyme.

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Mesa, AZ, United States of America

Zhi Zhao