3D printing of Solid Propellants – the studies about this process at Virginia Tech have our attention.
AP/Al composite solid propellant with up to 70 wt% total solids can be fabricated by Direct Ink Writing (DIW) using a binder that cures first by UV during printing and then thermally after printing.
The authors report that the printed material has burning behavior, crosslink density, glass-transition temperature, and mechanical properties comparable to conventionally cast propellant.
The UV cure gives the extruded strand enough strength to retain the printed geometry; the subsequent thermal cure completes polymer network formation in regions the UV cannot adequately penetrate.
Aluminum is found to be not merely an energetic ingredient in this manufacturing process. Its optical and particulate properties become a printing-process variable, with non-obvious outcomes.
Read the papers:
- Direct Ink Writing of Aluminized Solid Fuels for Hybrid Rockets Using a Dual-Cure Approach.
Authors: Farideddin Bazzal; Jonas S. Hoffmann; Gregory Young; Michael Bortner; Christopher Williams. - Direct ink writing of ammonium perchlorate propellants for solid rockets using a dual-cure approach
Authors: Farideddin Bazzal, Cayden Smedley, Jack Gradle, Michael Bortner, Christopher Williams, Gregory Young.
They’ve been uploaded on VALIMET’s Literature page – https://valimet.com/literature/energetic-materials-technology/
We at VALIMET, Inc. would like to draw attention to the implications of this development: we may see whole new players into the field of Solid Propellants, companies with no background in Energetics, but with deep expertise in 3D Printing and advanced manufacturing.
Partnerships, acquisitions, technology transfers (or simply the natural osmosis of expertise) may reshape the competitive landscape in the years ahead.
It will be interesting to see where these two worlds meet.
Something to discuss at IMTS – International Manufacturing Technology Show and hashtag#ICAM2026.
Congrats to the Virginia Tech team for this contribute and thanks for studying VALIMET Aluminum powders!
#Energetics #SolidPropellants #Aluminum #AluminumPowders
#3DPrinting #AdvancedManufacturing #RocketEngines