Thixotropic Liquid-Metal-Based Fluid and Its Use in Making Metal-Based Structures With or Without a Mold United States Patent 9993996

This invention provides liquid-metal-based thixotropic fluids that, upon solidification with or without a mold, provide metal-matrix composite materials. The fluid is a liquid metal with dispersed solid particles, which can move substantially relative to one another. The liquid is essentially continuous; the solid is substantially discontinuous. The liquid substantially occupies the separation among the solid particles and essentially occupies a portion of the separation. The portion consists of a plurality of regions. Each region is in contact with the surface of a particle. This invention also provides a laminate consisting of metal-matrix composite layers that are essentially parallel and bonded to one another. This invention further provides a method of making a metal-based structure in the absence of a mold, with relevance to three-dimensional metal printing. This method comprises preparing, shaping and depositing the thixotropic fluid on a substrate, and allowing the fluid to cool for complete solidification.