Synthesis and characterization of brass nanoparticles by arc discharge method for conductive ink

This research proposes the synthesis approach of copper-zinc nanoparticles by using arc discharge submerged in three different dielectric liquids including ethylene glycol, water, and ethanol at ambient atmosphere. The particles size, microstructure and morphology of particles were characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The nanoparticles synthesized in three different dielectric liquids contain both copper-zinc and zinc oxide. The zinc oxide was formed by oxygen free radicals during decomposition of the dielectric liquid. The average size of the nanoparticles synthesized in ethylene glycol, ethanol and deionized water estimated by Scherrer’s equation were 10.9 nm, 17.3 nm, and 95.1 nm, respectively. In addition, we studied the effect of L-ascorbic acid with concentration of 0.1 M as reducing agent. L-ascorbic acid could reduce zinc oxide particles in deionized water and ethylene glycol. In ethanol, zinc oxalate was formed after adding L-ascorbic acid. In order to study effect of amount of brass loading into dielectric liquids, we used 3.47, 6.95, and 10.43 gram/liter of brass loading. The nanoparticles are slightly increased as the amount of brass loading increases. Thus, we used 10.43 gram/liter of brass synthesized in ethylene glycol with ascorbic acid 0.1 M to prepared conductive ink. The pattern was printed on coated PET film by screen printing. Then, the pattern printed was baked at 150°C with formic acid vapor for 30, 60, 90, 120 and 480 minute. The SEM images show the nanoparticles starting to melt after sintering for 30 minute and the electric resistivity decreases with the increase of the sintering time. The minimum electrical resistivity obtained was 22.05 Ωcm.