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Title: Material fabrication using acoustic radiation forces

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1227633

Apparatus and methods for using acoustic radiation forces to order particles suspended in a host liquid are described. The particles may range in size from nanometers to millimeters, and may have any shape. The suspension is placed in an acoustic resonator cavity, and acoustical energy is supplied thereto using acoustic transducers. The resulting pattern may be fixed by using a solidifiable host liquid, forming thereby a solid material. Patterns may be quickly generated; typical times ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. In a one-dimensional arrangement, parallel layers of particles are formed. With two and three dimensional transducer arrangements, more complex particle configurations are possible since different standing-wave patterns may be generated in the resonator. Fabrication of periodic structures, such as metamaterials, having periods tunable by varying the frequency of the acoustic waves, on surfaces or in bulk volume using acoustic radiation forces, provides great flexibility in the creation of new materials. Periodicities may range from millimeters to sub-micron distances, covering a large portion of the range for optical and acoustical metamaterials.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
Assignee:
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Patent Number(s):
9,199,217
Application Number:
13/047,684
OSTI ID:
1227633
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2015 Dec 01
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (10)

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Method of aligning fibrous components of composite materials using standing planar compression waves patent November 1998
Method and system for production of fibrous composite prototypes using acoustic manipulation in stereolithography patent September 2004
Method for non-contact particle manipulation and control of particle spacing along an axis patent September 2012
Cylindrical Acoustic Levitator/Concentrator Having Non-Circular Cross-Section patent-application January 2003
Acoustic concentration of particles in fluid flow patent-application October 2008
DNA-Guided Nanoparticle Assemblies patent-application November 2009

Cited By (1)

Material fabrication using acoustic radiation forces patent December 2015