| Abstract Scope |
Molten Metal Jetting (MMJ) is an emerging additive manufacturing technology, enabling precise and high-resolution printing of intricate multi-metallic components. This method involves dispensing and depositing molten droplets onto a substrate based on a CAD file to form three-dimensional objects drop-by-drop. In this study, we employed analytical, computational, and experimental methodologies to provide comprehensive insights into the solidification kinetics, interfacial bonding mechanisms, and resultant microstructure of single- and multi-metal microdroplets. Our results highlight the interplay between spreading and solidification in defining droplet morphology, emphasising the significant influence of substrate temperature. Additionally, we show the role of thermal conditions in developing diverse microstructures, including epitaxial, polycrystalline, crystal twinning, columnar, equiaxed, and single-crystal structures. Furthermore, we demonstrate how process conditions, such as droplet and substrate temperatures and deposition sequences, control interfaces between dissimilar materials and their compositions. These findings offer potential avenues for tailored microstructure design in printing of multifunctional components via MMJ. |