18 23 29 P. 13 Alloy 718 Part III: Derivatives Digital Twins for Improved Materials Processing Determining Causes of Distortion through Modeling and Experimentation LARGE SCALE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SEPTEMBER 2026 | VOL 184 | NO 5
18 23 29 P. 13 Alloy 718 Part III: Derivatives Digital Twins for Improved Materials Processing Determining Causes of Distortion through Modeling and Experimentation LARGE SCALE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SEPTEMBER 2026 | VOL 184 | NO 5
Showcase your thought leadership and innovations at one of ASMʼs conferences and expositions, which offer unparalleled access to highly engaged audiences of industry leaders and decision-makers. Learn more about each event and related exhibit and sponsorship opportunities at asminternational.org/events 2026 EVENTS Thermal Spray of Suspensions & Solutions Symposium + EBCS (TS4E) September 16 – 18, 2026 | Prague, Czech Republic The ASM Thermal Spray Society will again offer a symposium focused on suspension and solution thermal spray (S&STS) technology. This symposium offers an opportunity for scientists and engineers interested in the emerging S&STS technologies to address both research challenges and development of industrial applications. International Materials, Applications, and Technologies (IMAT) September 28 – October 1, 2026 | Quebec City, Canada IMAT, ASM’s annual event, is the only targeted event on advanced materials, applications, and technologies in key growth markets that will have a focus on economic trends and business forecasts. The event will include a diverse group of materials experts, including the ASM Programming Committees, AeroMat Committee, and all six of ASM’s Affiliate Societies, who are heavily involved in building the technical symposiums, which will have a strong focus on real-world technologies that can be put to use today. Residual Stress Technology Conference (RSTC) September 29 – 30, 2026 | Quebec City, Canada Discover the forefront of residual stress research and its impact on material behavior at this enriching event. Engage with experts and practitioners across diverse fields through symposium topics, networking opportunities, and technical programming. International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA) October 4 – 8, 2026 | San Antonio, Texas ISTFA is the only North American event devoted to the semiconductor, electronic sample preparation, and imaging markets. ISTFA offers the best venue for failure analysts and the FA community for sharing challenges and acquiring the technical knowledge and resources needed to take them on. FAS Summit on Failure Analysis & Prevention: Fatigue and Fracture February 2 – 4, 2027 | Oceanside, California International Thermal Spray Conference and Exposition (ITSC) May 12 – 14, 2027 | Rotterdam, Netherlands Shape Memory & Superelastic Technologies Conference and Exposition (SMST) May 19 – 20, 2027 | Belén, Heredia Province, Costa Rica AeroMat | May 25 – 27, 2027 | Palm Springs, California International Conference on Advances in Materials, Manufacturing, and Repair for Power Plants (EPRI) June 7 – 11, 2027 | Tucson, Arizona International Materials, Applications, and Technologies (IMAT) October 4 – 7, 2027 | Columbus, Ohio North American Cold Spray Conference (NACSC) October 5 – 6, 2027 | Columbus, Ohio 2027-28 EVENTS Save the dates for ASMʼs 2027-28 conferences and expositions! More information and dates to come. Heat Treat | October 5 – 7, 2027 | Columbus, Ohio International Symposium for Testing and Failure Analysis (ISTFA) October 31 – November 4, 2027 | Phoenix, Arizona Navigating a Greener Sky: Symposium on Advances in Thermal Spray and PVD Coatings for the Aerospace Industries November 16 – 18, 2027 | University of Limoges, France Shape Memory & Superelastic Technologies Conference and Exposition (SMST) May 1 – 5, 2028 | Portorož, Slovenia AeroMat | May 15 – 18, 2028 | New Orleans, Louisiana International Thermal Spray Conference and Exposition (ITSC) May 15 – 18, 2028 | New Orleans, Louisiana International Materials, Applications, and Technologies (IMAT) September 11 – 14, 2028 | New Orleans, Louisiana
35 SMST NEWSWIRE BEYOND WIRE AND TUBE: SINTER-BASED AM OF NiTi SMAs Lucas Vogel, Tarang Mehta, Andreas Baum, and Carlo Burkhardt A look at two application fields where a sinter-based, photopolymer process enables new NiTi geometries. See also: SMST News p 33, SMJ Highlights p 38, and SMST 2026 Highlights p 39. THE FUTURE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH HISTORICAL ORIGINS IN WELDING Adam G. Stevens and Vanshika Singh Metal additive manufacturing is the latest chapter in a story that began with ancient forge welding and is now converging with automation and robotics to reshape modern technology. 13 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 2 A 3D-printed rocket booster awaits its first launch opportunity. Courtesy of John Kraus, Relativity Space. On the Cover: 54 ASM NEWS The latest news about ASM members, chapters, events, awards, conferences, affiliates, and other Society activities. DIGITAL TWIN AND FLOW SIMULATION FOR IMPROVED MATERIALS PROCESSING Hideyuki Kanematsu, Jeremy Knopp, Akiko Ogawa, and Takayoshi Nakano Beyond simulation, the real power of a digital twin is the closed feedback loop, which provides valuable digitalside visualization, enabling accelerated materials development. 23
4 Editorial 5 Research Tracks 10 Machine Learning 10 Feedback 6 Metals/Polymers/Ceramics 8 Testing/Characterization 11 Process Technology 12 Emerging Technology 68 Editorial Preview 68 Special Advertising Section 68 Advertisers Index TRENDS INDUSTRY NEWS DEPARTMENTS Check out the Digital Edition online at asminternational.org/news/magazines/am-p ASM International serves materials professionals, nontechnical personnel, and managers worldwide by providing high-quality materials information, education and training, networking opportunities, and professional development resources in cost-e ective and user-friendly formats. ASM is where materials users, producers, and manufacturers converge to do business. Advanced Materials & Processes (ISSN 0882-7958, USPS 762080) publishes six issues per year: January, March, May, July, September, and November, by ASM International, 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002; tel: 440.338.5151; fax: 440.338.4634. Periodicals postage paid at Novelty, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Vol. 184, No. 5, SEPTEMBER 2026. Copyright © 2026 by ASM International®. All rights reserved. Distributed at no charge to ASM members in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. International members can pay a $30 per year surcharge to receive printed issues. Subscriptions: $499. Single copies: $54. POSTMASTER: Send 3579 forms to ASM International, Materials Park, OH 44073-0002. Change of address: Request for change should include old address of the subscriber. Missing numbers due to “change of address” cannot be replaced. Claims for nondelivery must be made within 60 days of issue. Printed by Kodi Collective, Lebanon Junction, Ky. FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2026 | VOL 184 | NO 5 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 3 18 29 50 18 ALLOY 718: PART III, DERIVATIVE ALLOYS John deBarbadillo This final installment in a three-part series reviews how modifications to the composition of 718 led to new alloys with increased capabilities and applications. 26 STRATEGIC PLAN IN ACTION PROGRESS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACROSS SOCIETY INITIATIVES Elizabeth Ho man Collaboration between members, volunteers, and sta led to significant progress on this year’s four Society initiatives in support of ASM International’s 2026-2030 strategic plan. 29 HTPro UNDERSTANDING CAUSES OF DISTORTION THROUGH MODELING AND EXPERIMENTS Charlie Li A modeling and experimental study using a carburized Almen strip demonstrates that distortion during heat treatment arises from residual stress relations, nonuniform austenitizing, thermal stress, and phase transformations. 40 ASM MATERIALS EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORT 46 ASM REFERENCE PUBLICATIONS & DIGITAL DATABASES CATALOG 50 IMAT/RSTC 2026 SHOW PREVIEW 53 TS4E 2026 SHOWCASE 26
4 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 ASM International 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, OH 44073 Tel: 440.338.5151 • Fax: 440.338.4634 Joanne Miller, Editor joanne.miller@asminternational.org Victoria Burt, Managing Editor vicki.burt@asminternational.org Frances Richards and Corinne Richards Contributing Editors Anne Vidmar, Layout and Design Allison Freeman, Production Manager allie.freeman@asminternational.org EDITORIAL COMMITTEE John Shingledecker, Chair, EPRI Beth Armstrong, Vice Chair, Oak Ridge National Lab Adam Farrow, Past Chair, Los Alamos National Lab Carl Boehlert, Michigan State University Punnathat Bordeenithikasem, Machina Labs Daniel Grice, Materials Evaluation & Engineering Benjamin Huebner, Stevens Institute of Technology Hideyuki Kanematsu, Suzuka National College of Technology Ibrahim Karaman, Texas A&M University Ricardo Komai, Tesla Krassimir Marchev, Northeastern University Bhargavi Mummareddy, Dimensional Energy Christian Paglia, SUPSI Institute of Materials and Construction Ryan Paul, GrafTech International Felice Rubino, University of Salerno Satyam Sahay, John Deere Technology Center India Abhijit Sengupta, Bechtel Corporation Vasisht Venkatesh, Howmet Aerospace ASM BOARD OF TRUSTEES Elizabeth Ho man, President and Chair Daniel P. Dennies, Senior Vice President Tirumalai Sudarshan, Vice President Navin Manjooran, Immediate Past President William Jarosinski, Treasurer Rahul Gupta Hanchen Huang Victoria Miller Christopher J. Misorski Erik Mueller Ramana G. Reddy JP Singh Dehua Yang Fan Zhang Veronica Becker, Executive Director STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS Sofía González Espinosa, Andrew Gillespie, Wenchi Li Individual readers of Advanced Materials & Processes may, without charge, make single copies of pages therefrom for personal or archival use, or may freely make such copies in such numbers as are deemed useful for educational or research purposes and are not for sale or resale. Permission is granted to cite or quote from articles herein, provided customary acknowledgment of the authors and source is made. The acceptance and publication of manuscripts in Advanced Materials & Processes does not imply that the reviewers, editors, or publisher accept, approve, or endorse the data, opinions, and conclusions of the authors. MEN OF STEEL ASM has a long history of notable members who have greatly influenced the field of materials science. From the archives of departed ASM members, can you name the man who fits the following description? He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and studied metallurgy in college. Early in his career, he spent time at Latrobe Steel. Through hard work, grit, and a brilliant mind for business, he became a titan of the steel and special metals industry, orchestrating mergers including one related to ATI’s corporate history. He became an ASM Fellow and received ASM’s Medal for the Advancement of Research. He was a philanthropic friend to Carnegie Mellon University among other institutions. If you answered with either George A. Roberts, FASM, or Richard P. Simmons, FASM, you are correct. Both gentlemen had similar journeys and left amazing legacies that paved the way for future special alloy developments, like Allvac 718Plus that is described in this issue’s third installment of our Alloy 718 series. Both industrialists are also represented in this issue of AM&P. The annual George A. Roberts Scholarships, endowed by their namesake, are announced in ASM News. Simmons recently passed away and is fondly remembered in our In Memoriam section. Though their lives had many parallels, they also intersected in ways that propelled the metals industry forward. George Roberts became president of Vanadium Alloys Steel Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1961. While at the helm, he acquired Allvac Metals Corp. in Monroe, North Carolina. In 1966, he merged his company with Teledyne. The combined company specialized in high precision alloys and specialty metals for aerospace applications. Roberts was foundational to the Fortune 500 company’s success. Richard Simmons began as a metallurgist at Allegheny Ludlum in 1953. After brief stints at Latrobe Steel and Republic Steel, he returned to Allegheny Ludlum. Successive promotions led to him being named president of the specialty metals producer in 1972. He directed a buyout of the company in 1980, solidifying his place as a formidable leader in the specialty steels arena. Then in 1996, their careers intersected. Simmons managed Allegheny Ludlum’s merger with Teledyne Corp., creating Allegheny Teledyne Inc. (ATI). During the negotiations, Roberts sat on the Teledyne side of the table as its president. In his memoir “Distant Force,” Roberts dubbed the event “the friendly merger.” It turned out to be profitable too. Under Simmons’ leadership, ATI became a successful producer of titanium, stainless steel, and other specialty metals. Although we may not build a metals empire or negotiate a merger, we can gain wisdom from leadership lessons offered by the pair. To encourage Teledyne managers dealing with change, Roberts noted that “market conditions are beyond our control, but good leaders can plan for contingencies and must react quickly when changes occur.” In speaking to CEOs in Pittsburgh, Simmons outlined several of “life’s truths.” Among them were these nuggets: “Look beyond your job. Ask yourself how your job affects other departments. Take advantage of opportunities when presented.” Roberts and Simmons clearly leveraged both change and opportunities to grow the steel and special metals industry. Since then, every new 718 derivative and specialty alloy has been built on their intersecting legacies. joanne.miller@asminternational.org
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 5 RESEARCH TRACKS OHIO LANDS $160M FEDERAL MANUFACTURING AWARD Northeast Ohio has been selected as one of 12 National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines, making the region eligible for up to $160 million in funding over the next decade to advance manufacturing through materials research, artificial intelligence, and workforce development. Led by Case Western Reserve University, the NEO-SMART coalition includes more than 70 partners from industry, academia, philanthropy, and government and emerged from a highly competitive national process involving hundreds of proposals. ASM International is proud to be a partner in the NEO-SMART coalition. The federal investment over 10 years will be subject to meeting performance milestones along the way. It begins with $7.5 million in each of the first two years, followed by $15 million annually for three years, and $20 million annually during the final five years. Partners have committed another $120 million during the first two years of the effort and hope to attract more than $500 million in combined public, private, and philanthropic investment. The initiative, known as NEOSMART—Northeast Ohio Strengthening Manufacturing for American Resilience through Technology—aims to capitalize on the region’s strengths in metals, polymers, chemicals, and coatings. Organizers envision Northeast Ohio becoming a national hub for advanced manufacturing by accelerating research discoveries from laboratories into commercial products while training workers needed to support that growth. Among the coalition’s goals over the next decade are creating or retaining 20,000 jobs across an 18-county region, training 12,000 workers for advanced manufacturing careers, increasing corporate research and development by 50%, supporting 150 research and development projects, helping launch 1000 new ventures, and providing more than 250 seed investments for startup companies. The effort also seeks to strengthen domestic supply chains serving multiple industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, and medical devices. “The manufacturing challenges of the next decade will be solved by academic researchers, industry partners, and factory floor teams who work in collaboration to turn scientific insight into commercial reality,” Case Western Reserve University President Eric Kaler said. The NEO-SMART coalition grew on the premise that Northeast Ohio already possesses many of the ingredients needed for an advanced manufacturing ecosystem, including major industrial employers, research universities, community colleges, and specialized expertise in materials science. Major manufacturers participating include companies whose expertise ranges from specialty chemicals and coatings to tires, metals, and industrial manufacturing—companies such as Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Sherwin- Williams, Lubrizol, Bridgestone, Lincoln Electric, and Cleveland-Cliffs. The federal investment is intended to help those companies collaborate more closely with universities, expand research partnerships and speed new technologies into the marketplace. nsf.gov. NIST LAUNCHES CENTER FOR QUANTUM MANUFACTURING The U.S. Department of Commer- ce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced an agree- ment with SRI International, a nonprofit research and development institution, to help advance U.S. quantum research, development, and manufacturing capabilities. The agreement outlines that partner SRI will establish the Quantum Manufacturing Engineering Center (QMEC) to accelerate manufacturing of scalable, high-performance quantum components and systems to drive significant growth in the U.S. quantum industry. NIST will make an initial investment of $20 million in the center’s activities. The agreement advances the goals outlined in the Executive Order on Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation, and is another important step in implementing NIST’s Strategy for American Technology Leadership in the 21st Century to accelerate the progress of critical and emerging technologies from development to adoption, in close partnership with U.S. industry. The partnership will leverage SRI International’s mission to transition emerging technologies to impactful commercial use. NIST expects the new QMEC to accelerate breakthroughs in research and engineering that remove engineering and manufacturing barriers and demonstrate market adoption. The agreement supports NIST’s plan to coordinate innovative research efforts for accelerating the development and deployment of critical technologies in areas of national priority. nist.gov. Micrograph of a thin-film payload (orange) cooled by four pairs of tunnel junctions located at the corners of the payload. Courtesy of NIST.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 6 METALS | POLYMERS | CERAMICS armored steel joints while minimizing residual stress. A neutron diffraction instrument at HFIR called the high intensity diffractometer for residual stress analysis (HIDRA) helped the scientists measure residual stress within their samples to see if FSW could substitute for conventional welding. HIDRA specializes in spatial mapping and is optimized to determine residual stress in materials. During testing, the instruments measure specific 3D sections inside the material known as gauge volumes, regions of the sample averaged in the mapping. The team is now working to develop models and the data collected at HIDRA will then be used to validate those models. Researchers will then return to HFIR with samples created by conventional welding techniques to compare with ones made using FSW. ornl.gov, osu.edu. NEW REFRACTORY HIGHENTROPY ALLOY Using a new method that employs lower temperatures, researchers at Monash University, Melbourne, developed an alloy that is twice as strong as steel and three times as strong as aluminum, with a compressive yield strength of more than 2 gigapascals. This first-ever large refractory highentropy alloy (RHEA) is composed of titanium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, and zirconium. Due to a slower heating process at a lower temperature than the conventional alloy production process, the atoms of these elements organized themselves into a strongly connected structure comprising three distinct components with nanocrystals in different periodic arrangements. With this unique process, atoms can self-organize into defect-free structures in a bulk metallic material rather than a thin coating or microscopic sample, explains researcher Jian-Feng Nie. Beyond this one RHEA, the work could help pave the way for more sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective alloy production as well as the development of materials with specific capabilities enhanced to far greater degrees than before. “For more than a century, advances in alloys have come from altering the chemical composition and processing, guided largely by empirical trial and error. This research suggests we can actually engineer how atoms organize themselves, creating opportunities to develop materials with capabilities that were previously out of reach,” says researcher Yiannis Ventikos. monash.edu. NEUTRONS HELP BUILD BETTER ARMOR Researchers from The Ohio State University are studying residual stress caused by friction stir welding (FSW) using equipment at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to explore strengthening armor steel welds. The team’s results will help fine-tune welding parameters to create a roadmap for engineering better armor systems. The scientists brought their research to ORNL’s high flux isotope reactor (HFIR) because of the facility’s neutron-production capabilities. Using FSW, they explored how to make better-performing The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Missouri S&T’s Regional Innovation and Technology Hub $38 million to help rebuild America’s domestic critical minerals supply chain. Once built, a new test bed will house pilot-scale equipment for mineral processing, materials recycling, and hydrometallurgical methods. mst.edu. Axel Johnson Inc., New York, acquired Fort Wayne Metals Research Products LLC, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Founded in 1970, Fort Wayne Metals manufactures precision materials used in medical devices and other critical applications. fwmetals.com. BRIEFS Engineers developed an alloy that is significantly stronger than steel. Courtesy of Viktor Forgas/Unsplash. Setup of a weld using an argon delivery system coupled with the tool. Courtesy of The Ohio State University.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 7 HELPING ELASTOMERS TOUGHEN UP Researchers at The University of Osaka, Japan, developed a multipronged strategy to achieve greater elastomer toughness by overcoming certain challenges. Traditional elastomers are exceptionally elastic, but they are not very tough because micro- scopic cracks can cause them to tear. As a result, various methods are used to enhance their toughness by dissipating energy. During deformation, the polymer absorbs mechanical energy and dissipates it by converting it into other forms of energy. To reduce the likelihood of tears, three types of energy- dissipation strategies can be employed. First is molecular sliding. Rotaxane molecules are incorporated into the elastomer, where they slide and rotate under an external force, redistributing stress across the network and preventing breakage. The second approach involves force-induced bond scission. Molecules are embedded in elastomers with sacrificial bonds that break under applied stress, delaying damage to the elastomer. The third strategy is chain entanglement. Molecular design is used to introduce structurally well-defined chain entanglements, which allow chains to slide and rearrange tension across the network when stress occurs. However, individual en- ergy-dissipation strategies pro- vide only limited improvement in elastomer toughness. Although multiple mechanisms have been incorporated into a single material, achieving synergistic toughening by activating them sequentially as the applied stress increases remains challenging. In this study, the team introduced ring molecules with sacrificial bonds into an elastomer. Under applied stress, ring sliding occurs in the elastomer to absorb force. As stress increases, the rings cleave to form linear chains. The scientists say this strategy can be used to create materials that are both soft and durable, with applications such as tires, gloves, and adhesives. www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en. Under an applied force, sequential molecular transformations suppress material failure. Courtesy of The University of Osaka. Filter by specific chemistry and specifications Verify compliance with industrial certifications Pinpoint the ideal material for your application (201) 343-8983 · main@masterbond.com · www.masterbond.com EXPLORE OUR PRODUCT SELECTOR ENHANCED PRODUCT SELECTOR with our Filters Product Applications Product Type Certifications Electrical Conductivity Thermal Conductivity Optical Clarity Cryogenically Serviceable ISO 10993-5 for Cytotoxicity USP Class VI Medical EP21LVMed Low viscosity, two component epoxy compound EP42HT-2Med Two component, high temperature resistant epoxy for medical device assembly LED405Med One component, nanosilica filled LED curable system Product Selector
8 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 NEW MODEL BETTER PREDICTS ALLOY BEHAVIOR Researchers at MIT created a technique that captures chemical arrangements across materials to improve predictions of how metal alloys and other complex materials will behave. Central to their motif-based approach are machine-learning models that make simulations of materials faster and more accurate. The researchers improved those models by building training datasets that capture the wide range of atomic environments in chemically disordered materials. The team showed their method could be used to accurately predict material properties for a diverse group of metal alloys under a variety of conditions. They also demonstrated how the approach could be used to develop new materials, especially in scenarios where experimentation is expensive. The group says their method can be adapted for many different materials, from semiTESTING | CHARACTERIZATION AUTOMATED DEFECT DETECTION FOR DIAMOND Scientists at Rice University, Houston, developed a new workflow methodology for measuring microscopic defects in diamond and other advanced semiconductor materials. By making it easier to spot flaws that can undermine performance, they say the approach could accelerate development of more reliable electronic and quantum devices. The team developed a custom Python-based software tool to rapidly analyze data from high- resolution x-ray diffraction. The soft- ware analyzes the resulting diffraction patterns, identifies dislocations and irregularities in the atomic lattice, and calculates their density in each material. The new framework is especially suited to measuring dislocation density in diamond and other wide-bandgap semiconductors. This family of materials can handle more heat and electrical stress than silicon, making them attractive for applications such as electric vehicle power systems and power grid infrastructure. Yet measuring crystal quality remains a challenge. While similar x-ray-based methods are widely used for other semiconductor materials, applying them to diamond has proven more difficult because diamond’s crystal structure and defect behavior are vastly different from other materials. To test the new framework, the team analyzed four commercially available grades of single-crystal diamond with varying levels of crystal quality. The automated workflow clearly distinguished among the materials, identifying electronic- grade diamond as having the lowest defect density and most uniform crystal quality. Heteroepitaxial diamond, which is grown on a non- diamond substrate, exhibited the highest defect density and greatest structural disorder. Different techniques used to validate the results showed consistent trends, supporting the reliability of the approach. The researchers plan to continue refining the methodology and expand the range of materials and defect types it can analyze. rice.edu. Tia Gray, now a Rice doctoral alumna, is first author in the study published in Advanced Materials. Courtesy of Brandon Martin/Rice University. Tufts University opened a materials imaging service called Cocoon that provides state-of-the-art tools to industry and academic clients. Instruments include optical microscopy, laser confocal imaging, Raman spectroscopy, EDX microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. tufts.edu. Shimadzu Corp., Japan, completed its acquisition of Tescan, Czech Republic, on July 7. Tescan manufactures electron microscopy equipment for materials science, life sciences, semiconductor research, industrial R&D, and quality control. tescan.com. BRIEFS This graphic compares a random sampling approach of chemical arrangements across materials to the researchers’ new motif-based sampling. Courtesy of the MIT researchers.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 9 conductors to sustainable steels. The method works, in part, by capturing hidden patterns in the sample data. The group is now using the ap- proach to study how changing an alloy’s composition affects mechanical properties and radiation tolerance, with the goal of designing materials that remain strong and damage-tolerant in harsh environments. mit.edu. EXPLORING RESISTIVITY LIMITS IN METAL Scientists from the University of Toronto, L’École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and Lehigh University studied ultracold potassium atoms cooled to near absolute zero during research on electrical resistance. They found that as the rate of atomic collisions increases, the resulting resistance eventually stops increasing, offering new insights into what causes resistivity at the micro- scopic level. The study used an optical lattice, which is a grid of light that traps atoms and allows them to behave like electrons in a solid, to simulate extreme conditions not found in solids. “We observed that the atoms, which are only a few nanometers in size, bump into each other as if they were much larger,” says Professor Joseph Thywissen of the University of Toronto. “This quantum enhancement of the effective atom size makes collisions on a given lattice site much more likely, increasing the resistivity of the system.” The researchers found that when the interactions between atoms be- came very strong, the resistivity caused by collisions eventually stopped rising and reached a saturation point. This suggests that the resistivity increase from electron-on-electron scattering in a metal would also be limited for similar reasons. “Our results provide a clear microscopic understanding of how resistivity works in low-density metals and opens the door to new studies of strongly correlated atomic systems An artist’s impression of the resistivity that results from cold atomic collisions. Researchers investigating interactioninduced resistivity of ultracold atoms in a checkerboard-like landscape observe their likelihood of colliding, akin to how ducks moving in bubbles would collide. Courtesy of Haiwei Hou. and quantum materials,” says Thywissen. www.utoronto.ca. STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC. Required by the Act of 23 October 1962, Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code, showing the ownership, management, and circulation of Advanced Materials & Processes®, publishes six issues per year: January, March, May, July, September, and November at 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, Ohio 44073, USPS #762-080. Annual subscription rate is $499. The publisher and editor are Scott D. Henry and Joanne Miller, respectively, both of 9639 Kinsman Road, Materials Park, Ohio 44073. The owner is ASM International®, Materials Park, Ohio, which is a not-for-profit educational institution, the officers being; President and Chair of the Board, Elizabeth Hoffman; Senior Vice President and Trustee, Daniel P. Dennies; Vice President and Trustee, Tirumalai Sudarshan; Immediate Past President and Trustee, Navin Manjooran; Executive Director, Veronica Becker; Treasurer and Trustee, William Jarosinski; Trustees, Rahul Gupta, Hanchen Huang, Victoria M. Miller, Christopher J. Misorski, Erik Mueller, Ramana G. Reddy, JP Singh, Dehua Yang, and Fan Zhang; Student Board Members Sofía González Espinosa, Andrew J. Gillespie, and Wenchi Liu. There are no known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1% or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities. The issue date for circulation data below is May 2026. The average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months is: (a) Total number of copies printed: 1,708; (b) Paid and/or requested circulation: (1) Paid/requested outside county mail subscriptions: 1,270; (2) Paid in-county subscriptions: 0; (3) Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 196; (4) other classes mailed through the USPS: 0; (c) Total paid and/or requested circulation: 1,466; (d.1) Free distribution or nominal outside-county: 53; (d.3) Free distribution by mail: 25; (e) Total free distribution: 78; (f) Total distribution: 1,544; (g) Copies not distributed: 385; (h) Total: 1,929; (i) Percent paid: 95. 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ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 10 MACHINE LEARNING | AI/FEEDBACK MACHINE LEARNING SPEEDS QUANTUM MATERIALS RESEARCH Scientists at The University of Manchester developed a computational approach to help identify 2D materials that may host unusual quantum behavior. The research focuses on materials with “flat bands,” electronic states where electrons have very little kinetic energy. In these materials, interactions between electrons can become much more important, creating conditions linked to properties like magnetism and unconventional superconductivity. Finding materials with flat bands from a large dataset is difficult. Traditional searches often rely on density functional theory calculations, which can reveal a material’s electronic structure but are time-consuming. Instead, the team developed a physics-informed scoring system that captures two signatures of flat-band behavior, low band dispersion, and a strong peak in the density of states, then trained a model to estimate that score directly from atomic structure. The framework was trained using known 2D materials and then applied to more than 10,000 unlabeled ones. Among high-scoring candidates, calculations confirmed flatband behavior with 98.2% accuracy. www.manchester.ac.uk. AI TOOL SUPPORTS PERMANENT MAGNET DESIGN Researchers at Ames National Laboratory are advancing the discovery of materials for rare-earth-free permanent magnets by combining fundamental physics with artificial intelligence (AI). Scientists are combining physics-based modeling, highthroughput simulations, and reasoningbased AI tools to guide discovery before materials are made in the lab. This approach focuses on understanding how a material’s atomic structure and electronic behavior determine properties such as magnetization strength, energy storage capacity, resistance to demagnetization, and performance at elevated temperatures. By embedding that physics knowledge into computational models, researchers can identify promising material candidates and reduce the need for experimental iteration. The challenge to making this approach effective is ensuring AI models are trained in the right kind of data. Rather than relying on generalized data, models must be trained on experimentally measured and scientifically calculated material properties to enable predictions that remain grounded in real-world behavior. By combining Ames’ strengths in theory, simulation, and proprietary magnetic materials data with emerging AI capabilities, researchers hope to expand the pace and scope of magnetic materials innovation. ameslab.gov. AM&P WINS TECHNICAL ARTICLE AWARD Advanced Materials & Processes (AM&P) magazine received some exciting feedback from the organizers of the 2026 Tabbie Awards conducted by Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI). FEEDBACK We welcome all comments and suggestions. Send letters to joanne.miller@asminternational.org. AM&P won an Honorable Mention for Technical Articles! The winning article, “Post-Fire Metallurgical Assessment of Galvanized Anchors Supporting a Telecommunications Tower,” appeared in AM&P October 2025. Kudos to the authors, Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadeh, FASM, Anil Kumar Chikkam, and our editorial team. Revisit the winning article here: static. asminternational.org/amp/202510/19. This is the fifth Tabbie recognition AM&P magazine has received since 2019. Physics-informed AI could accelerate discovery of new permanent magnets.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 1 1 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY LOW AND SLOW HEATING BUILDS BETTER ALLOYS Scientists at Monash University, Australia, developed a new approach to alloy design that could revolutionize the way metals are made, according to the team. Rather than fully melting metals at extremely high temperatures, the researchers use a controlled work builds on a long-term research program led by Monash in collaboration with Chongqing University and The Ohio State University. monash.edu. REACTIVE INK PREVENTS COPPER CORROSION In a collaboration between University of Maryland, Yale University, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, researchers invented a process that halts the copper degradation cycle. Using a versatile blue ink, the team created a fast, relatively low-temperature method at 150°C to create copper that remains stable over time. The researchers’ liquid reactive ink can print copper onto nearly any surface without oxidation or corrosion. Resulting from more than a decade of research, this new approach could replace conventional copper processing methods such as plating and chemical etching, reducing time, cost, and environmental impact. “The newly developed ink has the potential to revolutionize the conductive ink industry by enabling the use of copper instead of more expensive metals, such as silver, across electronic, energy, and environmental applications,” says Yale University’s Liangbing Hu. Members of the team cofounded a startup to scale their process and commercialize the ink. umd.edu. heating process that allows atoms to organize themselves into highly ordered, interconnected structures. This creates what they call an atomic architecture, in which different structures form together and connect in a continuous way, without the microscopic defects found in conventional alloys. The new approach shows that the low and slow heating method can produce an alloy double the strength of steel, three times stronger than aluminum, and around twice as strong as the same alloy produced using conven- tional methods. They tested the process on an alloy of titanium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, and zirconium, which formed a tightly connected internal nanostructure made up of three distinct components. The material achieved a compressive yield strength of over two gigapascals while still retaining ductility. Monash researcher Jian-Feng Nie says the discovery represents a new paradigm in alloy design. “For more than a century, alloy development has focused on composition and processing. Our work suggests that how atoms organize during manufacturing may be just as important,” he says. “The real significance is not just this particular alloy, but the demonstration that atoms can self-organize into defect-free structures in a bulk metallic material meaning a large, continuous piece of metal, not a thin coating, film, or microscopic sample.” The scientists are now investigating the atomic- scale interactions that drive the formation of these structures and determine how materials evolve during processing. “At an even smaller scale, these interactions determine how materials form, evolve, and perform,” says Nie. The The Chemical Coaters Association International is now rebranding and becoming the Industrial Finishing and Coating Association. This change aims to align the group’s identity with the technologies, processes, and professionals that comprise today’s industrial finishing and coating marketplace. ccaiweb.com. BRIEF Microstructure of the as-quenched alloy (1200°C × 5 hours). Top: Backscatteredelectron-SEM image. Bottom: Electron backscatter diffraction orientation map. Courtesy of Monash University. Processing versatility and substrate compatibility of CuOMderived ink sintered in air at 150°C. Courtesy of Science.
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY 12 DEEP-SEA SPONGES INSPIRE NEW METAMATERIALS Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University are trying to mimic glass ocean sponges in their design of new metamaterials that simultaneously optimize structural resilience and fluid management. The team developed an auto- mated framework that integrates mechanical and high-fidelity fluid dynamics simulations with optimization tools, enabling users to explore complex design options. Over millions of years, the glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum has become mechanically optimized as a deep-sea structure, living at depths below 500 meters, often for millennia. Key to its survival is the sponge’s skeleton, an intricate structure made of silica. “On the structural side, we tried to create a structure that is lightweight and uses as little material as possible but that is still mechanically rigid and can carry a lot of force without failing,” says Harvard researcher Timon Meier. “And on the fluid dynamic side, we tried to create a structure that is not prone to any vibrations or any fluidic loads induced into the structure.” The team built a high-performance computing framework that combines finite element analysis for mechanics and computational fluid dynamics for flow behavior with multi-objective optimization capabilities. After users specify the characteristics they want to optimize, the framework automat- ically evaluates hundreds of designs through repeated rounds of simulations, gradually improving the concept until further iterations are unlikely to achieve better results. Based on tests of their new metamaterial, the scientists found that the buckling load increased by about 140% compared to randomly selected control structures. “Our results were pretty impressive,” says Harvard researcher Costas Grigoropoulos. “We demonstrated how you can increase the load a structure can carry just by changing its geometrical design and without increasing the volume.” berkeley.edu. SELFCONNECTING THIN-FILM MODULES Researchers from Kyushu University, Japan, created prototypes of thin-film elec- tronic modules that can automatically connect and disconnect with each other. The scientists’ unique mechanism creates new possibilities within electronics and robotics, where circuit-integrated actuator films not only bend, but are modular and can actively connect and reorganize their functions. “Today, most of these devices are made as fixed, one-piece systems,” explains lead researcher Fumihiro Sassa. “We worked to develop an electro- mechanical docking mechanism between these thin-film modules that can connect and disconnect with each other when needed.” The team developed several variations of docking methods— including one with a clawlike attach- ment that can lock onto another device even when powered off. In the group’s prototype, the actuator and electrical circuit are integrated on the same thin film. The actuator layer is composed of polypropylene and polyimide, which feature different thermal expansion coefficients. By incor- porating this film with a gold microheater, it can be warmed up, causing it to bend. The new modules have potential applications in wearable sensors, soft robotics, and medical devices. While development is still in its early stages, the team hopes their research will lead to the creation of devices that can self-assemble, adapt, and even repair themselves. www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en. Rocket Lab Corp., Long Beach, California, will acquire Iridium Communications Inc., McLean, Virginia, in mid-2027. The deal will combine Rocket Lab’s launch capabilities and satellite manufacturing with Iridium’s global satellite communications network, spectrum. rocketlabcorp.com. BRIEF Photo of a glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum. Courtesy of NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, Gulf of Mexico 2012 Expedition. Automatic docking between two thin-film electronic devices shown before and after connection. Courtesy of Kyushu University.
THE FUTURE OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH HISTORICAL ORIGINS IN WELDING METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 13 Adam G. Stevens and Vanshika Singh* Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee Metal additive manufacturing is the latest chapter in a story that began with ancient forge welding and is now converging with automation and robotics to reshape modern technology. *Member of ASM International
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 14 Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is widely considered a modern technology, attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in research, development, and deployment activity over the past two decades. This investment boom was enabled by the parallel maturation and democratiza- tion of motion control systems, robotics, and software in the 21st century. However, AM has deep roots in the history of welding and arguably has existed under different names since antiquity, embodying the need to increase manufacturing productivity and unlock new capabilities. EARLY BEGINNINGS While certainly not the first, a famous example of ancient AM is the Iron Pillar of Delhi (Fig. 1)[1]. Produced circa 400 AD, the pillar was forged by hammering small batches of iron produced by the bloomery process into a larger body of wrought iron. Manually working the wrought iron at an elevated temperature takes advantage of solid-state forge welding to combine separate chunks of material. Working a hot, yet still solid, material was accessible to ancient man, who was unable to produce and control the elevated temperatures necessary to melt iron and steel. With a few exceptions, most metal AM processes use welding methods to melt or otherwise bond material; the two most common mechanisms are solid-state and fusion welding. The 1600-year-old Iron Pillar of Delhi was produced via forge welding of 20-30 kgs of wrought iron lumps. Forge welding is a solid-state process wherein atomic bonds are created by intimate contact between adjacent materials in the absence of phase change when exposed to high temperatures, pressures, or mechanical energy. Solid-state welding currently finds AM applications in the sintering of green bodies produced via binder jet AM and additive friction stir deposition. Whereas solid-state processes were available to ancient man by elevating iron to a red heat in a furnace,[2] fusion welding—which, when applied to AM, is classified per ISO/ASTM 5900 as directed energy deposition (DED)— utilizes focused energy sources such as an electric arc, laser, or electron beam to fuse and join material with filler metal or autogenously in the absence of filler. This requires technology that can heat material fast enough to melt it before the heat escapes to adjacent material and the surroundings. For example, an elementary thermodynamic calculation shows that heating from room temperature and fusing one gram of iron in one second requires approximately 900 W, assuming perfect insulation (a highly optimistic estimate). The focused and powerful energy sources necessary for fusion welding were enabled by the development of oxygen-fuel and electrical power equipment in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. The English scientist Edmund Davy discovered acetylene in 1836. But it was not until the late 19th century that oxy-acetylene welding became practical due to both the development of low-cost acetylene production and safe methods for storing pressurized acetylene. Between 1903-1906, French engineers Edmond Fouché and Charles Picard patented blowpipes designed to reduce the risk of flashback, making the oxy-acetylene welding process safer and more accessible[3,4]. Oxy-acetylene welding provided a portable, intense energy source suitable for manual welding on an industrial scale with the products of combustion serving as a shielding gas for the liquid weld pool. However, the process soon yielded to electric welding due to the ubiquity and controllability of electrical power. The establishment of the electric welding industry was predicated on the invention of the voltaic pile by Alessandro Volta of Italy in 1799, which enabled the study of continuous bursts of current[5]. Discovery of the continuous electric arc is variably attributed to Vasilii Petrov of Russia in 1802 or Sir Humphry Davy of Britain prior to his public demonstrations in 1808. Both scientists utilized carbon electrodes and the recently invented voltaic pile to supply the current[6]. The first documented joining of materials using a continuous arc discharge was by French electrical engineer Auguste de Mèritens, who patented carbon arc welding in 1881 utilizing a single carbon electrode in a handheld holder for the joining of lead plates[7]. The introduction of filler metal into the electric arc was patented by the American Charles Lewis Coffin in 1889. He describes two methods wherein an arc is either struck between two electrodes or between an electrode and the work. In either case, one electrode is composed of filler metal that fuses and falls onto the weld joint (Fig. 2)[8]. THE RISE OF AUTOMATION The desire for improved welding Fig. 1 — The Iron Pillar of Delhi is an early example of additive manufacturing, produced by forge welding together small batches of bloomery iron[1]. Fig. 2 — An illustration from C.L. Coffin’s 1889 patent showing two different electrical methods for introducing filler metal into a welded joint. The dark electrode labeled “C” is in both cases composed of filler metal[8].
ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | SEPTEMBER 2026 15 productivity and quality drove developments in early automation. Harry D. Morton was granted a patent in 1918 on modulating wire feed speed by using welding current to regulate continuous feeding of a wire electrode into the melt pool[9]. This process became known as automatic welding. Welding with continuous spools of wire dramatically increased through- put as frequent electrode changes were eliminated. In 1920, H.L. Unland combined automatic welding with mechanized movement of the welding torch. The resulting system increased weld consistency, throughput, and enabled additive build-up of weld material on worn shafts and wheels (Fig. 3)[10]. Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) can trace its origin to the 1920s. In 1924, Paul O. Noble patented the combination of a manipulable handheld torch with automatic wire feed[11]. That same year, Peter P. Alexander filed a patent on utilizing a hydrogen-shielded arc with continuous wire electrode and reported increased weld ductility utilizing hydrogen shielding[12]. The 1920- 1930s saw further development of shielding gases such as helium and argon by Henry M. Hobart and Philip K. Devers, respectively[13,14]. The similar- ities in patent figures and attorney signatures between the works of Alexander, Hobart, and Devers, as well as common assignment to GE, suggest the existence of a focused corporate effort during this period (Fig. 4). SHAPE WELDING FOR LARGE CASTINGS AND FORGINGS Further mid-20th century developments in automation and control eliminated the need for a manual operator and gave rise to automated systems that built up weld metal into three-dimensional shapes in a process termed “shape” or “form” welding, as it involved producing shapes entirely from weld metal. This approach yielded benefits such as on-site manufacturing of massive components, multi-material structures, ease of in-situ inspection and repair during manufacture to reduce waste, and reduced lead times. Early examples involved axisymmetric geometries created with continuous printhead motion or template-follower systems. P.G. Weeber reported in 1968 on efforts in the Netherlands to develop a submerged arc welding (SAW) system capable of producing axisymmetric flanges of up to 1.4 m diameter and 0.77 m tall at 7.4-9.1 kg/h[15]. In Germany in 1971, R. Müller built on these efforts using SAW, producing an asymmetric curved flange via analog programming of the welding head using a sheet metal template (Fig. 5a). Additionally, Müller demonstrated multi-step manufacture of a 1.5 m diameter hemispherical pressure vessel cap weighing over 2000 kp (kp, or kilopond, is a historic unit for weight equivalent to approximately 9.81 N and 1 kg mass on Earth) with integral bosses for later pipe attachment. This required refixturing the workpiece in a tilt-turn welding positioner (Fig. 5b)[16]. In 1983, Kussmaul et al. documented a project by Thyssen Company that resulted in production of a 72-ton thick-walled pressure vessel (6 m long, 1.136 m inner diameter, 1.840 m outer diameter) in 6 weeks by using four tandem SAW welding heads operating at a combined 80 kg/hr material deposition rate (Fig. 5c)[17]. WIRE ARC ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING The late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen an explosion in GMAW and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) Fig. 3 — Mechanized automatic welding system developed by H.L. Unland at The General Electric Corp., showing configurations for circular welds (top) and build-up on shafts (bottom)[10]. Fig. 4 — Illustrations from patents by GMAW pioneers P.P. Alexander, H.M. Hobart, and P.K. Devers demonstrating different shielding gases and continuous feeding of wire electrode from a spool[12-14].
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