Custom Silica, Silica-Titaniu Inks Offer New Possibilities For 3-D Printed Optical Glass

In 2017, an advancement in additive manufacturing of glass brought silica inks to the forefront as a solution to the high-temperature challenges that molten glass presents as a raw material. Now, building on this previous research, scientists and engineers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are experiencing success with silica and silica-titania inks in the 3-D printing of optical glass. Led by LLNL chemical engineer and research scientist Rebecca Dylla-Spears, the team was able to print small sample glass pieces that are comparable to commercial quality glass products.