This is a surfactant-based cleaning technology that removes oil and particulate contamination from small, inaccessible dead-end pores in 3D-printed components without damaging the underlying surface.

A surfactant-based cleaning technology that removes oil and particulate contamination from small, inaccessible dead-end pores in 3D-printed components without damaging the underlying surface.

BACKGROUND:

Additive manufacturing enables the production of lighter, less expensive, and geometrically complex components for aerospace, medical, energy, and industrial applications. However, the printing process can create internal dead-end pores and passages, often on the order of hundreds of microns, that trap oils, particles, and other manufacturing residues. Because these pores are small, enclosed, and difficult to access, conventional ultrasonic, mechanical, electrochemical, and solvent-based cleaning methods cannot efficiently deliver the energy needed to dislodge contaminants. Inadequate cleaning can prevent otherwise promising 3D-printed valves, fluidic components, and orthopedic implants from meeting stringent contamination requirements.

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:

This University at Buffalo technology uses micellar nanofluids composed of concentrated surfactant solutions that form nanoscale spherical micelles. When introduced into an oil-contaminated dead-end pore, the micelles accumulate near the oil-fluid-solid interface and generate structural disjoining pressure that separates the oil from the pore walls. Unlike conventional nanoparticle systems, the technology performs most effectively at relatively low micelle concentrations of approximately 2% to 6% by volume. After the oil has detached from the surrounding surface, the component is flushed with clean water. The resulting concentration gradient produces osmotic transport that drives the separated oil out of the pore. Laboratory testing has demonstrated approximately 90% oil removal from dead-end pores, compared with approximately 20%-30% commonly reported in related pore-cleaning research.

ADVANTAGES:

• Removes approximately 90% of oil from inaccessible dead-end pores
• Enables cleaning of internal features that are difficult or impossible to reach using conventional methods
• Uses inexpensive surfactant-based micelles rather than costly solid nanoparticles
• Does not require ultrasonic, mechanical, or electrochemical energy to be delivered directly into the pore
• Avoids surface modification or damage associated with harsh electrochemical cleaning methods
• Surfactant residues can be removed through water rinsing and diffusion
• Compatible with complex internal passages and additively manufactured geometries

APPLICATIONS:

Cleaning of:

• Additively manufactured aerospace valves and fluid-control components
• Satellite and spacecraft components
• Fuel and hydraulic system parts
• 3D-printed orthopedic and medical implants
• Precision-manufactured components with internal channels
• Industrial filtration and porous material
   

Also:

• Removal of machining oils and particulate contamination
• Enhanced oil recovery

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SUMMARY: Patent pending.

LICENSING STATUS: Available for licensing or collaboration.