Nanoparticle Jetting Additive Manufacturing 2026 — PatSnap Eureka
Nanoparticle Jetting Additive Manufacturing 2026
Nanoparticle jetting AM spans binder jetting, laser-assisted nanomanufacturing, and multi-material slurry printing across aerospace, electronics, and biomedical sectors. IP activity is intensifying as active grants accumulate at Auburn University, Lawrence Livermore, and Raytheon Technologies.
Four Core NP-JAM Technical Clusters
Nanoparticle jetting additive manufacturing (NP-JAM) encompasses layer-by-layer deposition techniques using engineered nanoparticles—metallic, ceramic, carbon-based, or composite—as feedstocks or functional additives. The technology sits at the intersection of inkjet and binder jetting process engineering, nanomaterials science, and precision deposition physics, attracting intensifying IP activity since 1999.
The dataset resolves into four interrelated technical clusters: binder jetting with nanoparticle-loaded inks or nanoparticle-coated feedstock powders; direct nanoparticle jetting and laser-assisted nanomanufacturing; nanoparticle slurry and multi-material inkjet printing; and energy-beam-consolidated nanoparticle AM where laser or electron beams fuse interstitially arranged nanoparticles.
A cross-cutting theme is the use of nanoparticles not as standalone build material but as grain-growth moderators, sinter-aids, or microstructure controllers during post-print densification. The characteristic nanoparticle dimension cited across patents is consistently below 100 nm, with several systems referencing nozzle orifices of 30–60 nm for true nanoscale jetting.
Six jurisdictions are represented in this dataset: US (most filings), CN (second most active), WO, EP, CA, and IN. Two assignees—Desktop Metal and Auburn University—account for 10 of approximately 30 patent records. A tail of single-patent assignees including Honeywell, SABIC, Dokuz Eylul University, and CEA signals active entry by niche technical contributors.
NP-JAM Patent Activity by Cluster and Period
The dataset spans 1999 to 2025, with activity accelerating markedly in the 2014–2016 period and sustaining through 2021–2025. Binder jetting with nanoparticle-enhanced feedstocks is the most heavily patented cluster, while direct nanoparticle jetting and laser-assisted systems hold the strongest active grant positions.
Patent Filings by Technology Cluster (NP-JAM Dataset)
Binder jetting with nanoparticle-enhanced feedstocks leads the dataset with the most filings, followed by interstitial nanoparticle enhancement for energy-beam AM and direct nanoparticle jetting systems.
↗ Click bars to exploreNP-JAM Filing Activity by Era (1999–2025)
Filing activity is concentrated in two acceleration phases: the 2014–2019 foundational cluster and the 2021–2025 maturation phase, with the earliest activity anchored to the 1999–2001 foundational patents from University of Minnesota and Rutgers.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey NP-JAM Application Domains Across Industries
The NP-JAM patent dataset spans four primary application domains—aerospace and defense, electronics and printed electronics, biomedical and pharmaceutical, and advanced tooling and hard materials—with aerospace representing the most patent-dense domain in the dataset.
Aerospace and Defense Components
Raytheon Technologies and Graco Minnesota target nickel superalloy and titanium aerospace components where porosity and grain coarsening during sintering are critical failure modes. Honeywell’s 2021 grain-growth control patent directly addresses turbine component microstructure via dopant nanoparticle jetting. An Indian filing by Shital S. Thorat (2023) identifies rocket engines, combustor liners, UAV components, and composite tooling as primary targets.
Aerospace & DefenseElectronics and Printed Electronics
Central South University’s CN patent family (2018–2024) directly claims applications in electronic circuit board printing and flexible electronic materials, with nozzle orifices cited at 30–60 nm. A Changsha Liuteng Technology patent (2019, CN, active) describes a swelling-technology method for fabricating nanoscale electrojet 3D printing needles targeting PCBs, solar cells, and energy storage devices.
Printed ElectronicsBiomedical and Pharmaceutical
Auburn University’s nanomanufacturing system (2020–2024, US active) explicitly lists biomedical as a target sector, covering tissue engineering scaffolds and medical microdevices. High-throughput nanoparticle synthesis patents from MIT (2015, WO) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (2015, US) target nanomedicine formulations including siRNA polyplex NPs, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
BiomedicalAdvanced Tooling and Hard Materials
Central South University filed a 2024 CN patent (pending) on nanocrystalline cemented carbide AM targeting PCB drilling, hard-to-machine materials, and cutting tools. The Aerospace Science and Industry (Changsha) New Materials Research Institute (2020, CN, active) filed a patent on a print head device for preparing nanoparticle-reinforced metal matrix composites.
Advanced ToolingTop Patent Assignees in Nanoparticle Jetting AM
Desktop Metal and Auburn University each hold 5 filings in this dataset, together accounting for 10 of approximately 30 records. A broader field of active assignees—including Lawrence Livermore National Security, Raytheon Technologies, Central South University, and Graco Minnesota—holds active grants across US, CN, and EP jurisdictions.
Top NP-JAM Assignees by Filing Count
↗ Click bars to exploreDesktop Metal, Inc.
Desktop Metal holds 5 filings in this dataset (2018–2021, US and WO), covering nanoparticle-coated powder particles, nanoparticle aggregation control, multi-phase sintering, and filament jetting for metal AM. The US patents in this dataset are listed as mostly inactive, while the WO family record remains; competitors should audit exact legal status before assuming freedom-to-operate.
United StatesAuburn University
Auburn University holds 5 filings in this dataset (2020–2024) across US, CA, IN, and CN jurisdictions, covering a novel additive nanomanufacturing system combining in situ laser ablation nanoparticle synthesis, gas condensation, and laser sintering at the nozzle exit. Active US grants were granted in 2020 and 2024; CN and IN counterparts are pending, indicating active Asia-Pacific commercialization intent.
United StatesFive Directional Signals in NP-JAM (2021–2025)
The most recent filings in this dataset (2021–2025) reveal five clear directional signals: grain-growth engineering via dopant nanoparticle jetting, nanofluid laser entrainment achieving active grant status, Auburn University’s multi-jurisdiction buildout, CNT/metal nanocomposite feedstocks, and decorated nanostructure materials for 3D network formation.
Grain-Growth Engineering via Dopant Nanoparticle Jetting
Honeywell International’s 2021 US patent introduces dopant nanoparticles mixed with bulk material nanoparticles as a microstructure-tuning mechanism during sintering of nano-particle-jetted articles. This moves nanoparticle jetting beyond structural near-net-shape fabrication toward precision microstructure programming. Only Honeywell explicitly claims this dopant composition approach in the jetting context, representing a potential white space for materials-focused applicants in ceramic and cemented carbide systems.
Nanofluid Laser Entrainment AM Achieves Active US Grant (2023)
Lawrence Livermore National Security’s apparatus using inert-gas-suspended nanoparticle nanofluids with raster-scanned focused energy beams progressed from a WO filing (2019) to active US grants in 2021 and 2023. This signals matured IP protection for a system capable of nanoscale feature definition. Together with Auburn University’s laser-ablation system, these two institutions hold the strongest active patent positions in direct nanoparticle jetting in the dataset.
Binder Jetting NP vs. Direct Nanoparticle Jetting: IP Comparison
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Binder Jetting with NP Feedstocks | Direct Nanoparticle Jetting / Laser-Assisted |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Assignees | Desktop Metal, Inc.; Honeywell International | Auburn University; Lawrence Livermore National Security |
| Filing Count (Dataset) | ~10 (largest cluster) | ~5 (direct NP jetting cluster) |
| Filing Period | 2018–2021 (Desktop Metal); 2021 (Honeywell) | 2019–2024 (Auburn); 2019–2023 (Lawrence Livermore) |
| Patent Status | Desktop Metal US mostly inactive; WO active; Honeywell active | Auburn University US active (2020, 2024); Lawrence Livermore US active (2021, 2023) |
| Nanoparticle Role | Grain-growth moderator, sinter-aid, dopant, porosity controller | Build material synthesized in situ via laser ablation or gas condensation; nanofluid carrier |
| Jurisdictions | US, WO | US, WO, CA, IN, CN |
| Key Materials | Iron, nickel, titanium, aluminum alloys; dopant nanoparticles | Metallic nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation; inert-gas-suspended nanoparticle nanofluids |
| FTO Implication | Desktop Metal US lapse creates potential FTO window; Honeywell dopant approach is underexploited white space | Auburn and Lawrence Livermore active multi-jurisdiction grants must be navigated for any commercialization |
Frequently Asked Questions: Nanoparticle Jetting Additive Manufacturing Patents
The earliest relevant patent in the dataset dates to 1999: the University of Minnesota’s hypersonic plasma particle deposition system, which established the foundational concept of assembling nanoparticles into bulk nanostructured materials via impaction. A 2001 Rutgers filing then combined nanoparticle synthesis with thermal spray deposition.
Desktop Metal, Inc. and Auburn University each hold 5 filings, together accounting for 10 of approximately 30 patent records in the dataset. Central South University, Lawrence Livermore National Security, and Raytheon Technologies / United Technologies each hold 3 filings. Graco Minnesota and CEA each hold 2 filings.
According to the dataset, Desktop Metal’s US patents are listed as mostly inactive, which may reflect continuation or abandonment activity. The WO family record remains. Competitors and new entrants should audit the exact legal status and claims scope of these families before assuming freedom-to-operate.
Several systems in the dataset reference nozzle orifices of 30–60 nm for true nanoscale jetting. This dimension is cited in Central South University’s CN patent family (2018–2024) covering nanoscale high-precision additive manufacturing equipment targeting electronic circuit board printing and flexible electronic materials.
Auburn University and Lawrence Livermore National Security hold the strongest active patent positions in direct nanoparticle jetting. Auburn holds active US grants from 2020 and 2024 and pending CN and IN counterparts. Lawrence Livermore holds active US grants from 2021 and 2023 on nanofluid laser entrainment AM.
The most recent entry is a 2025 WO filing by Dokuz Eylul University on a carbon nanotube (CNT)/metal nanocomposite powder production method for use in additive manufacturing and thermal spraying processes, targeting machinery and aviation parts.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.