Plasma Jet Sintering of Printed Smart Material Films for Nuclear Reactor Sensors and Other Monitoring Applications
Faculty Mentor Information
Hunter Gregory, Boise State University
Presentation Date
7-16-2026
Abstract
Flexible printed electronic devices are emerging across the nuclear, energy, and healthcare industries, from reactor infrastructure monitoring to wearable sensors. This research investigates atmospheric-pressure plasma sintering of application-specific functional ink formulations, including magnetostrictive Galfenol films and piezoelectric composites, printed on polyimide, glass, and metallic substrates.
As printed nanoparticle films exhibit limited electrical conductivity because residual solvents and polymer binders separate the conductive particles. Conventional thermal sintering can improve conductivity but destroys delicate and flexible substrates. Plasma sintering provides an alternative by promoting nanoparticle necking and densification while maintaining near-ambient substrate temperatures.
To identify optimal processing conditions, this research systematically varies plasma sintering parameters, including drive voltage, pulse frequency, duty cycle, argon flow rate, treatment time, scan speed, and number of processing passes. Sintered films are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate crystal structure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine surface morphology, and four-point probe measurements to assess electrical conductivity.
By comparing multiple ink formulations across different substrates and plasma processing conditions, this work establishes processing–structure–property relationships that support the development of more reliable and manufacturable flexible printed electronic devices.
Plasma Jet Sintering of Printed Smart Material Films for Nuclear Reactor Sensors and Other Monitoring Applications
Flexible printed electronic devices are emerging across the nuclear, energy, and healthcare industries, from reactor infrastructure monitoring to wearable sensors. This research investigates atmospheric-pressure plasma sintering of application-specific functional ink formulations, including magnetostrictive Galfenol films and piezoelectric composites, printed on polyimide, glass, and metallic substrates.
As printed nanoparticle films exhibit limited electrical conductivity because residual solvents and polymer binders separate the conductive particles. Conventional thermal sintering can improve conductivity but destroys delicate and flexible substrates. Plasma sintering provides an alternative by promoting nanoparticle necking and densification while maintaining near-ambient substrate temperatures.
To identify optimal processing conditions, this research systematically varies plasma sintering parameters, including drive voltage, pulse frequency, duty cycle, argon flow rate, treatment time, scan speed, and number of processing passes. Sintered films are characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) to evaluate crystal structure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to examine surface morphology, and four-point probe measurements to assess electrical conductivity.
By comparing multiple ink formulations across different substrates and plasma processing conditions, this work establishes processing–structure–property relationships that support the development of more reliable and manufacturable flexible printed electronic devices.