3D-Printed Siloxane Composites with Hydrogen Getter Capability Unwanted hydrogen is a silent threat inside sealed electronics, vacuum instruments and metal containers, where it clouds optics, embrittles metals and can build toward explosive levels. SiloGetter from Los Alamos National Laboratory answers that threat with a printable siloxane composite that captures hydrogen right at its source while carrying nearly 10 times the active getter content of earlier printed materials. Because the paste flows through nozzles as fine as 400 microns without clogging, protection can be shaped precisely to the geometry a device demands, and because the finished part keeps its strength instead of crumbling like a pressed pellet, that protection endures. The result is a rugged, made-to-fit hydrogen safeguard that quietly protects costly systems over the long term while absorbing more than 80% of the hydrogen it encounters. Overview The material relies on a straightforward principle carried out by two ingredients working together. Tiny particles of a palladium-on-carbon catalyst split incoming hydrogen molecules into reactive atoms, and a companion compound, DEB, permanently binds those atoms into its molecular structure so the hydrogen can no longer move or ignite. Both ingredients are dispersed throughout a siloxane polymer, a silicone-like plastic chosen because gases pass through it easily, which gives hydrogen a clear path to the active particles inside. The blended paste is then printed by direct ink writing, a method that pushes the resin through a fine nozzle and stacks it layer by layer into whatever shape the application requires. Once cured, the printed part behaves like a solid, high-surface-area sponge for hydrogen and keeps absorbing steadily until its capacity is reached. Technology Description At the heart of SiloGetter is a reformulated composite resin that resolves the trade-offs that limited earlier printed getters. Previous silicone-based getters could incorporate only about 5 weight percent of the active DEB and palladium-on-carbon getter, and their base resins tended to react with DEB at the temperatures reached during processing, which lowered both hydrogen capacity and mechanical integrity. The new siloxane formulation stays chemically inert toward DEB even at 75 degrees Celsius, so the active chemistry survives fabrication intact; that stability lets the composite carry roughly 50 weight percent getter, a nearly tenfold increase, without sacrificing the strength of the finished part. Equally important is the way the resin behaves during printing. Carefully engineered flow properties allow the high-loading paste to move smoothly through direct-ink-writing nozzles as narrow as 400 microns without clogging, so intricate, high-surface-area shapes can be produced reliably. Because siloxane polymers are highly permeable to gases, hydrogen diffuses readily to the embedded catalyst and getter throughout the printed body rather than only at its surface, and the finished composites absorb more than 80 percent of available hydrogen while retaining good mechanical properties. Taken together, these traits turn a historically fragile, hard-to-handle getter into a robust, customizable component that can be designed directly into the systems it protects. Advantages • Captures far more hydrogen per part, holding roughly 50 percent getter by weight, close to ten times the content of prior printed materials • Prints into custom shapes by direct ink writing, even through nozzles as fine as 400 microns, without clogging • Replaces loose powders and brittle pellets with strong, durable parts that are easy to handle and install • Highly gas-permeable siloxane base gives hydrogen easy access to the active material, yielding better than 80% absorption efficiency • Stable formulation avoids unwanted reactions between the resin and the getter, even at elevated temperature near 75 degrees Celsius • Adaptable to many geometries and uses, so protection can be tailored to each system Market Applications • Microelectronics Packaging (hermetically sealed modules and integrated device packages that outgas hydrogen) • Vacuum and Scientific Instrumentation (ultrahigh vacuum systems and equipment) • Aerospace (metal components exposed to hydrogen-rich conditions) TRL 4 U.S. Patent pending LA-UR-26-27370 LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products. LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov. Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology. https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology m.lanl.gov/tech-search
