| Nanocrystalline nickel can be electrodeposited on a structurally efficient polymer core to create lightweight load bearing structures. The polymer core is made by jetted photopolymer, a type of additive manufacturing that can produce polymer parts of almost any geometry with a high degree of feature resolution. Electrodeposition has the advantage of being able to coat complex structures in metal since it does not rely on coating apparatus line-of-sight. However, the electrodeposition of nickel on a polymer core is challenging because of surface anisotropy effects and the polymer metallization step. In this study, a technique for coating jetted photopolymer parts with nanocrystalline metal is developed and its complications are explored. Simple polymer parts including rods, tensile coupons, and microtrusses are characterised and mechanically tested to investigate the capabilities of the developed metallizing technique for producing high performance hybrid structures. |
