This seminar will explore recent breakthroughs in advanced additive manufacturing for architected materials and functional devices, highlighting how precise control over geometry at multiple scales has unlocked unprecedented material properties.
We will review innovative design strategies, such as topology optimization, alongside emerging fabrication techniques including projection microstereolithography, direct ink writing, electrophoretic deposition, volumetric additive manufacturing, computed axial lithography, parallel two-photon polymerization, liquid metal jetting, and diode-based metal printing. These approaches have enabled the creation of mechanical metamaterials and multifunctional systems in polymers, metals, ceramics, and their combinations, overcoming traditional trade-offs like strength versus density.
Elaine Lee,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Building on this foundation, the seminar will introduce the concept of sentient materials—next-generation systems capable of autonomously sensing, learning, and adapting their properties in response to environmental changes, without external power. We will discuss ongoing efforts in composite materials development, simulation-driven design optimization, and in situ training and testing, aimed at realizing materials that can dynamically reconfigure themselves to meet evolving application requirements. This work marks a significant shift from conventional responsive and 4D-printed materials, with the potential to revolutionize practical applications by enabling intelligent, self-adapting material systems.
This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-2008223.
Elaine Lee is the group leader of the Responsive and Active Materials and Manufacturing Group and a member of the Center for Engineered Materials and Manufacturing in the Materials Engineering Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Elaine Lee has a S.B. in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She joined LLNL in 2015 as a Postdoctoral Researcher and was converted to a member of the technical staff in 2017.
Elaine is a principal investigator and technical contributor on several multidisciplinary collaborative projects. She has expertise in additive manufacturing processes, flexible optoelectronic technologies, electrophoretic deposition, microencapsulation, colloidal processing, micro- and nanofabrication, and materials characterization with focus on soft materials, polymers, colloids, photonic crystals, and liquid crystals. Current projects include the development of controlled release of microencapsulants, the development of engineered materials for flexible optoelectronic technologies, and additive manufacturing of shape changing materials.