Fig. 2. Silver phase separation as a function of crosslinking density.

Cylinders 1.5 mm in diameter and 2 cm in length were printed using resins containing 25 wt. % AgND. a SEM cross-sectional images of cylinders printed using resin mixtures (i, ii) 25 wt. % DA-170 and (iii, iv) 25 wt. % DA-250 and taken prior to thermal sintering, but treated with 5 min of UV curing to convert some of the silver salt to silver metal. These results confirm that the silver complex diffuses to the surface during printing and the partitioning of material phases does not happen post-printing. The cylinders once sintered at 210 °C contain 9.5 wt. % Ag. b Cross-sectional SEM images focused approximately <5 µm from the edge of the cylinder. Cylinders were printed using 25, 50 and 99 wt. % for DA-170, DA-250, DA-575, and DA-700 crosslinkers. c Weight fraction of silver as a function of depth with respect to the surface as measured by performing EDS on the surface of the object (data point at 1 μm) and on the cross-sections of the cylinders for 25, 50, and 99 wt. % crosslinker of each DA type. d Surface silver of sintered cylinders as a function of wt. % crosslinker as measured by EDS analysis on the surface of the object. The estimated interaction volume of the EDS beam for these measurements performed on the top surface of the object is ~2 µm. e Resistance as a function of wt. % crosslinker for post-sintered cylinders.