Researchers Use New Compound, MXene, and 3D Printing to Improve Satellite Communication

3D printing is gaining ground in many areas, including aerospace and defense. Already, additive manufacturing has been used to produce parts for Boeing’s combat helicopters and satellite antennas in space. In addition, research projects on the subject of 3D printing are constantly coming to light. In one such case, researchers at UBC Okanagan (UBCO), together with Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have developed a new compound – MXene – which has great potential for 3D printing antennas in the space and satellite industry.

As mentioned, the research project was a collaboration between scientists at the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute at Drexel University and UBCO. The Department of National Defense, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the United States National Science Foundation supported the research. In it, Mohammad Zarifi, A researcher in UBCO’s Microelectronics and Gigahertz Applications Laboratory (OMEGA) and associate professor in the School of Engineering, and his team have set out to develop advanced communication components. The special thing about them is that these components are 10 to 20 times lighter, cheaper and simpler in design than conventional metal ones, all without having to sacrifice performance.

A prototype of a 3D printed, MXene-coated component

The 3D-printed objects developed by the scientists from the fusion of the MXene compound and a polymer have the potential to advance the manufacture of telecommunications antennas and other connecting elements. As a result, they could significantly improve communications technology – including antennas, waveguides (used to conduct sound and optical waves in communication devices) and filters. Traditionally, these have been made from metals such as silver, brass and copper, but MXene shows significant promise.