Metalon® Silver Inks Drive Precision, Performance, and Robustness in Advanced Plasma Actuation
Additive manufacturing continues to redefine what’s possible in functional electronics—and a newly published study in Sensors & Actuators: A. Physical demonstrates just how far printed materials can go when paired with the right ink technology.
In work led by researchers from CERTH, Delft University of Technology, and CNRS, Aerosol Jet Printed (AJP) plasma actuators were fabricated using NovaCentrix’s Metalon® JS‑A426 silver nanoparticle ink, achieving performance on par with—or exceeding—conventionally manufactured devices.
Why This Matters
Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge (SDBD) plasma actuators are powerful tools for flow control, mixing, and plasma‑assisted processes. Historically, their adoption has been constrained by fabrication methods that are manual, inflexible, and inconsistent. This study shows that Aerosol Jet Printing combined with NovaCentrix inks overcomes these barriers, enabling:
- Micron‑scale electrode thickness (~4 µm)
- Ultra‑smooth, precisely defined electrode edges
- Excellent alignment of top and bottom electrodes
- Strong adhesion without pressure‑sensitive adhesives
The Role of NovaCentrix Metalon® JS‑A426
At the heart of this breakthrough is Metalon® JS‑A426, an aqueous silver nanoparticle ink formulated specifically for ultrasonic aerosolization. In this work, the ink enabled:
- Metallic electrical performance, with low resistivity and high carrier density confirmed by Hall measurements
- Stable plasma ignition and operation across a wide voltage (12–40 kVpp) and frequency (1–20 kHz) range
- Enhanced electric field strength due to thin, smooth printed electrodes—leading to lower breakdown voltage and more intense discharge activity
- Excellent adhesion to PMMA substrates, aided by the ink’s built‑in polymer binder and low‑temperature sintering (85 °C)
Importantly, the printed plasma actuators generated ionic wind velocities up to ~5 m/s and electrohydrodynamic forces exceeding 27 mN/m, values fully comparable to traditional copper or aluminum tape actuators—while offering far greater design freedom.
Unlocking New Design Space
Because Aerosol Jet Printing is a non‑contact, mask‑less, CAD‑driven process, researchers were able to fabricate highly repeatable devices with electrode features down to ~80 µm linewidths. This level of control opens the door to:
- Complex electrode geometries for tailored flow control
- Printing on curved, flexible, or non‑planar substrates
- Rapid prototyping and iteration at dramatically reduced cost and time
From Research to Real‑World Impact
This study reinforces what we see across many application areas: materials matter. By combining advanced deposition tools with production‑ready conductive inks, printed electronics can meet—and often surpass—the requirements of demanding, high‑energy environments like plasma systems.
At NovaCentrix, we’re proud to see Metalon® inks enabling innovation at the frontier of plasma physics, aerospace, and flow control, and we look forward to supporting the next generation of additively manufactured devices.
➡️ Read the full paper:
Aerosol Jet Printed plasma actuators: Optical and electromechanical characteristics, Sensors & Actuators A: Physical 403 (2026) 117702.